


The Last Song

by wickedwheeler



Category: Stranger Things - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Fluff, Mileven, Mileven au, Summer Love, a bit of angst, the last song au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-07
Updated: 2019-06-09
Packaged: 2019-11-13 08:06:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 73,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18027941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wickedwheeler/pseuds/wickedwheeler
Summary: troubled teen, estranged father, summer love...you get the ideabased off the book/movie with some mileven twistsenjoy!





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi ladies and germs <3
> 
> I haven't written a fic in so long, so I figured I would do an AU type fic, based off another story to kind of get me back into the swing of it! 
> 
> The Last Song is one of my favorites and I thought it would be such a cute story for our beloved Mileven! 
> 
> The first few chapters are much shorter, but they do get longer I promise! 
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy! I’m also posting on wattpad if you’d prefer to read it there (: 
> 
> (Also, not sure exactly how this works, but I know I should have some sort of a disclaimer so: I do not own any of these characters, nor am I trying to claim the storyline as my own! Everything is completely inspired by the original story - with a few of my own twists of course.)

El Hopper truly didn't understand why the universe was against her. Specifically, why her own mother was against her. All she wanted to do was finally enjoy the summer with her friends after a long year of educational hell. She finally graduated high school and wanted to celebrate. Because honestly, she didn't think she'd actually make it. Was wanting to spend time with her friends too much to ask?

Apparently so, because that plan was exchanged for spending all summer with her "dad" — if he could even be qualified to have that title.

 

El and her little sister, Sara, were being forced to go stay with their dad until August.

Two months.

How the hell was she supposed to survive two months in a place she doesn't want to be, with a man she definitely doesn't want to be around?? The whole situation made her want to die. Sara, on the other hand, was just a big ball of excitement, which annoyed El even more.

If only Sara understood why El wasn't too fond of their dad. She was young, much too young to understand why it was so fucked up that he just decided one day to leave them. But El knew and the older she got, the more she learned about the situation. There were still unanswered questions, though. So many unanswered questions, that she finally just gave up on finding out the answers. Obsessing over it and what she could've done to stop it, almost drove her insane.

What happened sucked and it affected her in more ways than one. It completely derailed her life, leaving her feeling like an entirely different person.

She was a different person now. The girl she once was, the girl who always had a smile on her face and loved playing the piano more than anything in the world, is gone. She's gone and there's not a chance she'll ever be coming back.

***

The familiar sound of a piano playing through the speakers brought El out of her thoughts. She quickly recognized the tune playing and leaned up from where she sat in the passenger seat, turning the volume on the radio all the way down. Her mom gave her a disapproving look, but didn't bother saying anything. Terry had been dealing with her oldest daughter's attitude the entirety of their 9 hour drive. One more argument between them and she'd probably bust out into tears.

El resumed her somewhat comfortable position and focused her gaze back out the window, as she'd been doing most of the drive. A few times, she contemplated jumping out of the car and running as far as she could, but figured she'd just get injured in the process and that wouldn't be very beneficial.

"Hey El, do you think dad will take us to the aquarium?? I really wanna see all the cool fish!" Sara excitedly yelled from the back seat.

"If he does, I'm not going. I'm sure he'll take you. He'll probably end up leaving you there and not come back, though. He doesn't seem to have a problem abandoning things he's supposed to be taking car-" El's response was cut off by her mom, who had, much too quickly, turned into a driveway and shut off the car.

"Okay El, damnit! That's enough! You're staying here with your father, whether you like it or not. If I have to pry you out of this car and carry you through the front door myself, then I will. It's been three years since either of you have last seen him. You don't have to enjoy your time here, but please don't ruin this for your sister okay? Stop acting like a selfish brat for once and keep the negativity to yourself."

El's eyes had grown a bit wide, but then she chuckled, amused at her mom's outburst.

"Whatever." She replied, rolling her eyes. She noticed that her mom was removing the keys from the ignition and looked at the house they were now parked to the side of.

Ah, perfect timing. The driveway belonged to their dad's house. They had finally arrived. At least she could get away from her mom. It's just too bad that being around her dad was infinitely worse.

It's not that she hated her mom. Now her dad? Definitely hated him. She really did love her mom, but for the past 3 years, she's been on her case about everything and it was beyond annoying. El just wanted her space and her mom was giving her the exact opposite.

 

As El forced herself out of the car, Sara slammed her door shut, squealing. She went to the back of the car, searching for her bags. El came up behind her, roughly tugging on one of her braids.

"Hey!! Do it again and I'll tell dad you got arrested!"

The humorous look on El's face transformed into a glare.

"Do it, I don't care. What's he gonna do? It's not like he's gonna punish me for it. Besides, I'm already being punished enough just by being here." She looked around in disgust. This place was definitely not Manhattan, which made El feel even more miserable.

The sound of a screen door slamming shut interrupted their arguing, both of them turning their heads to where to sound came from.

"DAD!!" Sara squealed, even louder than before, making El's ears feel like they could start to bleed any second now. Sara dropped her bags on the gravel driveway and ran to their dad, who engulfed her in the biggest hug.

"Sara, my girl. I've missed you so much!" He held her tight, spinning her around. He pulled away to get a good look at just how much his youngest daughter had grown, since the last time he had seen her.

"I've missed you too, daddy!" Sara squeezed him, once again, making up for the lost time (and all the lost hugs).

El watched her mother slowly make her way up the steps, to where they were still hugging. Terry smiled at the sight, happy to see that at least one of her daughters was going to have a good time here. She placed Sara's bags on the table nearby, then went over to them, even though she really didn't want to interrupt their moment.

"Hi, Terry. You look good."

"Hey, Jim." She gave him a soft smile, then looked to Sara, who was ecstatic.

"Thanks for this, really. It means the world." He gave her a hug, with his free arm that wasn't still wrapped around Sara.

"Just take care of them, I'm trusting you here." He nodded, understanding that she didn't owe him anything. He left her and their two children and he would've understood if none of them ever wanted to see him again. He was lucky to have this time with them, and he was going to enjoy every minute of it.

"Alright, Sara. I need to get going. Have the best time okay? I love you so much." She pulled Sara in for a long hug, then kissed her on the cheek.

"Oh I will! I love you mom!"

 

El stalked up the steps, to where her mother was waiting for her. She placed her hands on El's shoulders, giving her a knowing look.

"Behave, please. I love you."

El rolled her eyes, dropping her bags to hug her mother goodbye.

"You have a funny way of showing it, but love you too." She sighed, really just wanting to drop down on her knees and start begging her mom to let her go back with her.

Terry kissed her head, said goodbye, then she was gone.

And El was officially stuck here.

She roughly snatched her bags up off the porch, walking toward the front door, not sparing her dad a glance.

"Hey, Ellie. I've missed yo-" The slamming door behind her cut him off.

Sarah sighed, annoyed that her sister was still being so rude.

"She's being extra bitchy today dad, just ignore her."

He laughed at his daughter's choice of words.

"Yeah I see that. Hey, who taught you such language huh??"

Sara pretended to zip her lips shut, locking them, and throwing away the key, laughing right along with him.

All El could hear from inside the house, was the continuous sound of their laughter. She wanted nothing more for it to stop. She angrily threw herself down on the couch, taking in the small living room.

"This is gonna be the worst summer ever."

 

If only she knew just how wrong (and right) about that she was...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed the first chapter! It's gonna be hard to write El so moody but it has to be done. Also, no mileven yet, but don't worry. Mike will make an appearance soon and all will be right in the world! 
> 
> Thanks for reading, next update coming to ya very soon <3


	2. Chapter 2

El had to get away from that house, away from all the laughter and fun Sara and her dad were having. She left, without saying a word to anyone, deciding to take a walk down the beach.

She wasn't exactly dressed for it, still in her jeans, long sleeve shirt, and black combat boots, but honestly who cares? She didn't know any of these people, so fuck what they think.

Not even a minute into her walk though, she was already regretting her decision. The sun was making its way back out from behind the clouds and it was blazing hot out. She pulled her sleeves up on her arms, to hopefully help get a bit cooler. Her jeans were ripped, so at least she was getting a breeze on parts of her legs. And the boots, well, boots on the beach probably wasn't the best idea. Too late now, though. There was no way she was going back to her dad's house to change.

Everyone around her was laughing, enjoying their day on the beach. Kids lathered in sunscreen were attempting to build sandcastles. Parents were lounging on beach chairs, drinking their beers, relaxing. Numerous screams could be heard from people in the water, as they splashed around. It seemed like they were all having the best time.

_Must be nice._

She thought, feeling a bit jealous.

_These people probably have great lives and here I am stuck with a shitty one._

She continued on with her walk, deciding to stop paying attention to all the happy people surrounding her. A little bit further down the beach, she saw what looked to be a carnival. The closer she got, she started to smell all the typical things that accompany a carnival. Funnel cakes, hot dogs, and popcorn. She loved carnivals, and even though she didn't particularly want to be here, she did always love the beach. So a carnival on the beach, that was like Christmas for her.

"This will probably the highlight of my summer." She mumbled to herself.

 

***

 

After walking around, watching loads of people waste their money on all the rigged carnival games, El was really in the mood for something sweet. And cold. It was getting hotter as the day went on and she was in desperate need of a milkshake.

She approached one of the food trucks, joining in at the back of the somewhat short line. Once she reached the front, a man who reeked of cigarettes and sweat, stuck his head out the window.

"What can I get for you darlin'?"

"Chocolate shake, please."

She handed the man her money, immediately wiping her hand that had slightly touched his sweaty one, on her jeans.

She really hoped he wasn’t the one making her shake.

The man came back a moment later, handing her the shake, and wished her a good rest of the day.

Since she didn't have anything else to do, and definitely didn't want to go back "home," she decided to walk around a bit more. She watched people of all ages, lining up to ride what little rides they had. There were bumper cars and a few rides that spun around way too much for her liking. They also had a decent sized ferris wheel, which was always her favorite ride. She loved being able to see things from high up. It made the world seem so small and her seem so big.

Her mind was instantly flooded with memories of her friends back home and how they would always ride it together, when they would visit amusement parks. It hit her just how much she was going to miss them this summer. They would be carrying on with their adventurous plans without her and it made her want to cry. She quickly shoved those thoughts out of her head, not wanting to dwell on it, when there was nothing she could do about it.

Thinking it would make her feel better, she almost got in line to ride the ferris wheel, but realized just how embarrassing it would have been if she had gotten on there alone.

She noticed this place was surprisingly crowded. No matter what section she was in, she often had to push her way through crowds of people. She eventually grew tired of everyone, so once she'd found a clear way out, she walked further away from all the rides and games.

She spotted a crowd of people, who collectively started cheering. As she got closer, she discovered it was a game of beach volleyball that had their attention. A very intense game of beach volleyball.

Four guys, looking to be about her age, were playing, putting more effort into a game of beach volleyball than she'd ever seen. She stood off to the side, a few feet away from the crowd of people, consisting mostly of girls. She guessed they were here for the two shirtless guys on the right side of the net. They were the only attractive ones. The players on the other side were not even remotely attractive, although they did have nice looking bodies.

She watched the game for a bit, drinking her half melted milkshake, but after listening to two of the girls in the nearby crowd obnoxiously screaming for the attractive guys, she was over it.

Both girls were super tan blondes with perfect shiny white teeth. They talked to the guys every chance they could, surrounding the two of them each time they'd take a water break. The way the girls looked at them and gently rubbed their arms, made their desperation so blatantly obvious. She didn't even know them, but immediately didn't like them.

Was she being too judgmental, considering she didn't even know them? Probably, but she didn't really care. They reminded her too much of the girls she had went to school with back home. The girls who constantly wanted to be the center of attention and brag about how much money they had, correction -- how much money their parents had.

The game itself was getting boring anyways. The attractive ones just kept on scoring, which made her want the other team to win even more. She always rooted for the underdogs and it wasn't looking too good for them.

She walked around the back of the volleyball court to get to the souvenir shops, unaware of the ball, and attractive volleyball player, coming right toward her. The crowd of people got louder, shouting to watch out, but at this point, she wasn't paying any attention to them.

A moment before he collided into her, she looked over to see the tall, dark haired guy reaching out to prevent himself from knocking her to the ground. He had roughly placed his hands on her shoulders, unintentionally, of course. It was instinct really. If he hadn't, he would have tackled her to ground, and probably injured them both.

His roughness did, however, knock her milkshake out of her hand. Unfortunately, it had spilled all over her shirt in the process of falling to the ground.

She looked down at her now, chocolate covered shirt, then up at the curly haired guy, who was quite a bit taller than her.

"Oh shit, I'm so sorry. Are you alright?" He panted.

Her shake was now soaking through her shirt onto her skin.

_Yay, that's gonna be sticky as hell._

She recognized one of the obnoxious girls from before starting to laugh at her. Then the other one joined in, and now she completely hated them both.

_This day just keeps getting better and better._

"I'm fine, I mean I'd much rather drink my shake than wear it but..." She replied, rudely.

"Uhh, are you sure? I mean I almost tackled you to the ground and I know I grabbed onto you pretty hard."

El nodded, wanting to be done with this conversation already. People were still staring, some even laughing and it was making her uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry, I was trying to keep the ball from hitting the ground. If it did the other team would score and-"

"Yeah, I know how the game works. I don't need you to explain. Besides, it was an accident. Really, it's fine." She turned to walk away, but the guy grabbed her shoulder, gently this time though.

"I truly am sorry."

He looked down and noticed just how much of what was in her cup had spilled on her shirt and couldn't help but laugh. Not that he thought it was funny, but it was just his luck that it was a chocolate shake. It couldn't have been vanilla or even a cup of water.

"Yeah, that smile on your face just screams  
sorry."

"I can buy you a new shirt? To make it up to you?" He asked, sincerely looking into her eyes. His eyes were insanely dark, and she felt as if he was trying to stare into her soul or something.

"You wanna buy me new shirt?" She laughed, shaking her head. "I don't need you to buy me a new shirt, I just need this conversation to be over already."

The guy sighed, taking the hint that she wasn't going to let him make it up to her, in a way that would make him feel less guilty.

"Well, for what it's worth, that chocolate stain on your shirt really brings out your eyes." He joked, hoping she'd find it somewhat funny.

El raised an eyebrow, not amused.

"I'm gonna go now..."

She gave the guy a fake smile and once again turned to walk away, this time actually getting to leave.

"Dude, Mike. Get back in the game already!" She heard someone calling behind her.

She made her way back through the crowd of people, who were trying their best to conceal their laughter at what they had just witnessed. She did her best to ignore them as she walked away.

El didn't know why, but she somehow got the feeling that the guy was still staring at her, with those dark, dark eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh I’m loving this story with these characters! Hope you enjoyed! 
> 
> Thanks for reading! Next update coming to ya soon!


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks to the cute, sweaty volleyball player ruining her shirt, El had to go buy a new one. Unfortunately, the only places nearby that sold clothing, were local booths that jacked their prices up way too high. El really didn't want to spend thirty dollars on a t-shirt she was never gonna wear again. Maybe she should've taken that guy up on his offer of buying her a new shirt...

She continued to rummage through the pile of t-shirts, hoping to find one she could at least consider wearing more than once. At least then it wouldn't be a total waste.

 

"Hello Kitty not your style?" Someone asked from the other end of the table.

El looked up to find a red headed girl, staring at her amused.

She was wearing a plain black t-shirt, with a black mini skirt. Her fingers were covered with rings and the shiny diamond stud in her nose was just like El's. Her combat books were also pretty similar to the ones El was wearing, the other girl's looking a bit more worn out. She also had dark makeup smudged around her eyes. Her whole look was similar to something El would wear, minus all the makeup.

Her bright red hair was messily braided to the side and El could smell the cigarettes on her from where she stood.

El smiled at her, slowly shaking her head.

"No, not really. I'm trying to find one I'll actually wear again, because I really can't waste thirty dollars on a fucking t-shirt. They don't have very good options though. It's either Hello Kitty or Finding Nemo."

The girl walked closer to El, noticing the stain on her shirt.

"What happened there? Have a little mishap while trying to shit?"

El laughed, already liking this girl.

"Some volleyball player knocked my chocolate shake out of my hand and it kinda spilled all over me."

She nodded, joining El in looking through the pile of shirts.

"I'm Max by the way."

"El. Nice to meet you. It's good to know that not everyone here is a snobby rich kid."

"Not snobby and definitely not rich." Max laughed, as she grabbed a shirt from the pile, holding it up to show El.

"What about this one? It's not too bad!"

El looked at the cream colored shirt, which had a faint sunflower on the bottom half of it. Guess that'll do.

"And guess what, you don't even have to pay for this one, it's on the house." She smirked, trying to shove the shirt into El's bag.

El quickly shook her head, shoving Max's hand away.

"No, I can't. I can't steal it." She said low enough, that the booth owner couldn't hear.

Max backed away from El, raising her eyebrows a bit.

 _Great_. She thought.  _This girl is totally gonna rat me out._

"I stole some stuff back home and got caught.. multiple times actually. I can't do it again or I'll be in deep shit."

El wasn't too proud of her brief crime spree back home. She still didn't know why she did it, it just made her feel better at the time. Her friends were doing it too, so why not right?

"Oh totally, I get it girl, no biggie. I was just afraid you were gonna rat me out or something." Max assured her, feeling relieved.

 

Before El could respond, she felt a light tap on her shoulder. She hesitantly turned around, hoping it wouldn't be milkshake guy from earlier.

"Sara? What are you doing here? And where's dad?" El looked around, hoping that he wasn't close by.

"He's getting us corn dogs. What happened to your shirt?"

"Someone ran into me and knocked my shake out of my hand."

"Oh okay..." Sara noticed Max behind El and gave her an odd look, not knowing who she was.

"Okay well if that's all, can you go away? I don't want dad to know I'm here."

"He already knows you're here, but he doesn't know where exactly." She said, with a not so innocent look forming on her face.

"And he doesn't have to know, for the low price of ten dollars." Sara smiled, knowing exactly what she was doing.

"You think I'm gonna pay you ten bucks for that, you're crazy." She had just wasted thirty dollars on a shirt, no way she's throwing out ten more.

"Oh look, here he comes now! Dad! Over he-" El clamped a hand over Sara's mouth. She looked over to see her dad already searching the crowd for Sara. Damnit. She  _really_  didn't want to hang around her dad.

"Fine! Here, take it and go. You  _never_ saw me." El snatched the bill from her wallet, shoving it in Sara's hand.

Sara ran off, happily, with her ten dollar bill. El watched as she led their dad in the other direction. She turned back around to face Max, who was clearly amused by El and Sara's conversation.

"Your sister seems fun. I think I'm gonna get one of those corndogs she was talking about. Want one?"

El immediately shook her head, a look of disgust on her face.

"No, I'm good. I actually don't eat meat so..."

"Gotcha. Well, I'm gonna go get one of those, so meet you back here in like ten minutes?"

"Sounds good. I need to go change shirts anyways, so take your time."

Max fell in with the crowd, heading toward all the food trucks. El paid for the shirt and started searching for a bathroom, eventually finding one near the back, by the bumper cars. She could already smell a God awful stench from outside the bathroom door and really didn't want to go in. She gave in though, holding her breath as she stepped inside, hoping she wouldn't catch a disease from whatever had died in there.

 

***

 

El met back up with Max after she had gotten her food and El had changed shirts (and probably caught a disease in the process). It was getting dark out now, which meant that El should probably leave soon. Not because she was worried about getting in trouble. She was worried it would be too dark for her to find her way home and then she'd get lost. It's not like she knew her way around this town.

"So I have some friends I want you meet. And Troy!"

Max hooked her arm with El's as they walked, taking a bite out of her corn dog.

"Oh, who's Troy? Your boyfriend?"

Max paused for a moment, looking like she was contemplating her answer.

"Yeah I guess you could say that, come on!"

El liked Max and she really didn't want to leave yet, even though she knew she should.

_Oh fuck it. If I get lost, I'll just sleep on the beach._

 

***

 

Max had taken El down to the nearby pier, where her friends were hanging out by a fire. Max's friends were nice and a lot like El's friends back home. There was Troy, Max's boyfriend, and two others, Jenn and Dustin.

El thought Max and Troy made a cute couple. They both had that whole dark, mysterious vibe going for them. She could tell they were crazy about each other. El assumed Jenn and Dustin were dating as well, since they had been making out for the last fifteen minutes.

They had all been making s'mores, telling random stories and drinking for about an hour, well El hadn't been drinking. The others were doing enough of it for her, though.

Max got up from her place by the fire, announcing that she was going over to retrieve another bag of marshmallows from Troy's truck, parked in a nearby lot.

"Come with me El!"

El grabbed Max's hand to help pull herself up.

"I'm coming too. You ladies need a protector. You never know who might pop up at this time of night." Troy said, as he wrapped his arms around both Max and El's shoulders, making Max giggle and kiss his cheek.

El had managed to get out from under Troy's arm, feeling a little uncomfortable walking with them like that. She casually moved over to walk beside Max.

 

As they passed by the ferris wheel, Troy's face went from smiling to looking like he wanted to murder something.

"Well well well. Look who we have here. Did your daddies let you rich boys out for the night?"

El turned to see where Troy was looking. It was the guy from earlier and his partner from the game. They also had those two obnoxious girls with them. That makes sense. They're all snobby rich kids.  _He_ was a snobby rich kid, how disappointing.

"Troy, can you just leave? We aren't doing anything to you." Milkshake guy said, sounding annoyed.

"Yes, actually you are Mike. Your presence is just killing my vibe. And Lucas, well I just wanna punch you in the face." Troy's words were beginning to slur, clearly he was drunk. 

Lucas started yelling at Troy, but El couldn't comprehend any of what he was saying. She had just locked eyes with who she now knew was named Mike.  He was staring at her, intently, just like he had done earlier today. She wanted to look away, but she couldn't. It was like she was frozen, like both of them were frozen.

Max tried pulling Troy back, away from the two he was seconds away from attacking. She really didn't want Troy causing a scene and end up getting arrested again.

Troy roughly pushed Max away, causing her to bump into El.

This caused El to finally avert her gaze away from Mike's and look to Max in concern.

"Troy please, let's just go!" Max desperately yelled at him.

Troy finally retreated, grabbing Max's hand and pulling her with him, toward the lot where his truck was.

El followed behind, avoiding making eye contact with any of them, especially with Mike.

 

***

 

After they had gotten what they needed from the truck, they finally made their way back down to where the fire was.

A few minutes later, Max got up to go use to the bathroom. El was left sitting with Jenn and Dustin, who were  _still_  sucking face, and Troy, who had thankfully calmed down a bit.

El noticed Troy was staring at her, so she politely smiled at him, then looked out at the dark waves rolling in. Troy moved a bit closer to El, placing his hand on her thigh.

"So, El... What do you say you and I sneak off for a bit and have some fun?"

"Uhm, no thanks. Besides, you're dating Max." El grabbed his hand and moved it off of her thigh.

He placed in there again, moving even closer.

"What Max doesn't know won't hurt her." He smiled at El, making her want to throw up. This guy was disgusting.

El roughly shoved his hand off of her and got up on her knees, so that she was a bit taller than Troy.

She moved closer to him, so that Jenn and Dustin couldn't hear.

"You're disgusting. Don't touch me ever again. Got it?" She shoved him back, getting up off the ground, so she could leave.

"Tell Max I went home."

El was so furious. Why are all guys enormous pieces of garbage? First her dad, now this guy. Max deserved better than a guy who would hit on her friend the second she walked away.

El seriously couldn't believe that Troy just came onto her.

And Max couldn't believe that El had just came onto Troy, because that's exactly what it looked like from where she stood. She couldn't believe this girl she had already considered to be her friend was trying to steal her boyfriend.

 

Too bad that wasn't at all what had happened... and a misunderstanding like this could not end well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this chapter so quick, so I hope it doesn't suck too bad! I also threw in Dustin, even though we sadly won't see him again. I'm kinda sad Will isn't in this one either, but maybe I can find somewhere to fit him in the story later!
> 
> Thanks for reading! Next update coming soon <3


	4. Chapter 4

El's POV 

El had eventually found her way back home at about 12:30 in the morning. It wasn't too hard, but the beach was so dark that she almost walked right by the house.

She slowly opened the front door, careful not to make any noise. She seriously hoped her dad was asleep already, so she didn't have to deal with him.

El went into what was going to be her room for the summer and shut the door, as gently as possible. She threw her purse down on the bed, then kicked off her shoes. She grabbed the bottom of her shirt, starting to pull it over her head.

"I'm guessing you don't know that I'm also in the room," a quiet voice spoke from behind her, making her jump. She whirled around to see Sara, wrapped up in a bed she didn't notice, on the other side of the room.

"Jesus! Sara?? Why are you in here? This is my room!" She screamed quietly.

"Actually, it's my room too. That's why there's two beds dummy." Sara pointed to each bed, as if El couldn't see for herself.

"Oh my God. This is just great." El ran a hand through her hair, as she sat down on her bed. Of course she doesn't even get her own room. 

"It'll be fun! I've always wanted to share a room with someone, even if it has to be with  _you_."

El turned around, playfully glaring at Sara.

"I'm gonna go change. Where's the bathroom in this place?" El got up from her bed and went over to her suitcase, finding a tank top and some shorts to sleep in.

"Go through the living room, down the hallway, first door on the left." Sara said, snuggling into her covers.

El followed Sara's instructions, finding the somewhat small bathroom. She felt around on the wall for the light switch, not finding it anywhere. She finally found it on the other side of the bathroom.

 _Man_ _it’s_ _weird_ _not_ _knowing_ _where_ _anything_ _is_ _around_ _here_. El thought, hoping she’d eventually get more familiar with everything. It would probably help if she was actually here, but she didn’t plan on spending too much time in the house. That’s the last thing she wanted to do.

El shut the door, changed her clothes and had just finished washing her face, when she heard the sound of a piano playing.

She followed the sound until she ended up in a room, just off to the side of the kitchen. Her dad was sitting at the piano, playing a slower song. She watched him play a bit, then jot something down on some paper. She didn't know what he was doing, but didn't really care.

Eventually he noticed her standing there and quit playing, then turned around to face her.

"Can I talk to you for a minute El?"

She sighed, as she walked into the room, sitting down on the chair furthest from him.

"Sure."

"Where have you been? It's almost one in the morning."

El threw her head back against the chair.

"I was out. You don't have to wait up for me, you know? I'm not a child."

"Look, El. If you're gonna be here, you-"

"Well Idon'twant to be here, dad. Is that not obvious? I do not want to be here, at all." At this point, El was yelling, but what did he expect? She didn’t need anyone telling her what to do, especially not him, and not when it wasn’t even her choice to be here.

Jim didn't like this version of El. He understood why she was being so cold toward him, but he still didn't like it. He missed the El that could stand being in the same room with him for more than five seconds. He missed the girl who loved him.

"I know. I know you don't want to be here and I'm sorry. Let's just try to make the best of it okay?"

He turned back around, facing the piano, preparing to start playing again.

"Are you gonna play that damn piano all night? Because if you are, I'll sleep outside."

Jim glanced at El, then looked down at his piano. He gently shut the top on it.

"Happy?"

El shot him a fake smile, then decided to leave the room. Before she could get away, her dad spoke again.

"Your mother told me you got into Juilliard. Congratulations, that's amazing!"

El froze. She wasn’t expecting him to bring that up.

"Well, no need to congratulate me, I'm not even going."

"Oh why not? El, you'd be making a huge mistake."

El couldn't listen to this anymore.

"You know all about making mistakes don't ya dad?"

She left the room, not wanting to continue this discussion anymore. She went back to her room, wanting to forget about the things he had just brought up. 

(Jim hoped and prayed that night, that she'd somehow change her mind. He didn't want his mistake to cause her to make an even bigger one. Juilliard was an amazing school and El deserved to go there more than anyone. She had such a gift when it came to playing piano. Yet, she was going to just throw it all away because of him.)  

 

El settled into her bed, adjusting the pillows to her liking. This bed was so small compared to her bed back home and she already hated it.

"Why'd you leave earlier without telling us? Or without telling me... You just disappeared. I was kinda worried about you." Sara softly spoke out of nowhere. El figured she would've been asleep by now. 

"Why would I tell you where I was going? It's none of your business." She snapped, but not really meaning to.

The small smile on Sara's face dropped and she rolled over to the other side of the bed, not wanting to talk anymore.

El felt a little bad. Her sister may be annoying, but she had been having a rough time these past few years. Not having your father around at such a young age sucked. When their mom told them they were coming here, Sara was the most excited El had ever seen her. Maybe her mom was right. She really needed to stop being a brat.

"Sorry. I don't mean to be so rude toward you. It's just that I'm not too excited about having to stay here all summer."

Sara rolled back over, now facing El.

"Did you have fun? Wherever it is that you went?"

El smiled at her sister.

"Yeah, I did. I made a new friend. Her name's Max, the redheaded girl you saw me with. Remember her?"

"Yeah, she was kinda scary looking..."

"She's pretty cool though."

El thought about Max and how much she liked her already. She hoped that she would get to hang out with her more, while she's here. At least she'd help make the summer a bit more bearable.

"Did Max spill the drink on your shirt?"

"Huh?"

"You said someone ran into you and made you spill your drink?"

"Oh, no that was some guy playing volleyball." El remembered how he had stared at her not too long ago. What was that all about?

"Was he hot?" Sara asked excitedly, making El laugh.

"Yeah, I'd say he was hot. But I think he's rich and snobby, so that just ruins his looks."

"Bummer..."

_Yeah, bummer._

"Okay, time to go to sleep. Night Sarbear." 

"Night Ellie-belly." She said, making them both laugh.

They hadn't used those nicknames in forever, and it surprisingly made El feel kinda warm inside. She might not want to enjoy her time here with her dad, but maybe she could enjoy her time with Sara. 

 

***

 

Mike's POV 

Mike was sitting alone on a bench, watching the carnival grow less and less crowded. It was almost 1 AM, and he was thinking that he should probably leave soon. Not that his parents would mind, but he was tired. He had ditched his friends after the whole run in with Troy.  Lucas was hyped up on adrenaline after the encounter and had managed to get some beers. The girls were thrilled, but Mike wasn't in the mood to be around drunks tonight. 

He thought back to what had happened earlier, but only because _she_ was there, the girl from the volleyball game. He had been thinking about her even since then. 

He still didn't know who she was, never having seen her before until today. He also didn't know why, of all people, she was with Troy Harrington. 

Troy was a major dick. He just always wanted to cause problems. Ever since _that night_ six weeks ago, Troy hasn't given neither Mike nor Lucas a break. That night was one Mike would remember for the rest of his life. He had never been so terrified.

He never knew fire could spread so quickly through a building. Apparently Troy did. That was his plan all along, to scare the shit out of Mike and Lucas. Well, it definitely worked and could’ve killed them both.

_"What did you do?? What the hell did you do?" Mike had yelled._

_"It's not my fault! I didn't do anything!" Lucas yelled, coughing from the smoke starting to take over the entire building._

_They had looked for a way out, finally busting through one of the bigger windows. Lucas climbed out first, grabbing onto Mike's arms, pulling him out with him._

_They ran to the road, getting as far away as they could. The sound of nearby laughter caught their attention. They both looked over to see Troy, along with Dustin and some red headed girl. They were all laughing. Troy was waving around bottles of lighter fluid. He was the one who started that fire. He also knew they were in there and was just gonna let them die._

_Mike grabbed his cell phone from his pocket, but Lucas snatched it out of his hand._

_"Please don't call the police! They'll blame it on us! We'll both get arrested for this." Lucas looked at Mike with pleading eyes._

_Mike debated on what to do, but decided not to call and they both ran away, far away from the burning building. Nobody would ever know they were there._

_Except Troy and his friends, which meant that this probably wouldn't stay a secret for long._

_Days went by and the fire was all over the news. Mike wished he had done something. Maybe if he had called the police and just said it was an accident, they wouldn't have even been arrested._

_Mike really wished he had done something, when he found out someone else had also been in the building with them and was injured pretty bad. The man had been released from the hospital a week later, but still, Mike constantly felt the guilt crushing down on him. If he had called the police that night, maybe that man wouldn't have gotten hurt at all. The town also ended up pinning the blame on that man. Apparently he had been taking drugs or something of the sort, and couldn't recall what had happened. So everyone blamed him for the destruction of one of the most important buildings in town. It was a church, well the only church in town. Everyone was devastated when the majority of it was destroyed. The building still stood, but it had been damaged so much it was going to have to be completely restored._

_Mike often would lie awake at night thinking about all of it, feeling like the worst person on the planet._

"There you are! Are you avoiding me, Mike?" Stacey asked, dragging Mike out of his memories.

_Yes, I am. Can you not tell?_

"No, of course not! I just needed some space. Every time I'm around Troy it just... I just needed some fresh air, away from everyone. I'm good now though." He answered.

Stacey smiled, satisfied with his response.

Stacey was one of Mike's oldest friends, if you could even call her that. Really, they only hung out because their parents are so close. Stacey has always had a thing for Mike, which she didn't try too hard to hide. They went to prom together and even dated for a month or two. Mike thought she was good looking, but honestly didn't see their relationship going anywhere. She didn't put much effort into the actual relationship, never caring what Mike had to say or what he wanted to do. She just wanted to date a rich, attractive guy and Mike just so happened to be her first choice.

Mike dumped Stacey months ago, but she refused to give up on him. She came on to him any chance she could, but Mike always brushed her off. He liked her as a friend and nothing more. He thought he had made that clear, but judging by the way she keeps rubbing his arm, he must not have made it clear enough.

"So, my parents are out of town for the weekend. You wanna come over? I know it's already super late, but we'd have the place to ourselves..." 

Mike gently removed her hand from his arm, not wanting to be touched like that anymore.

"I don't think so," he said.

"Why not?" She whined, yes she actually whined. 

"It's just not a good idea Stacey."

"Are you acting this way because we broke up? That was so long ago. I'm over it. I don't want to get back together or anything."

_Then why did you invite me to your house, where we'd have the place to ourselves? And why do you continue to come on to me every chance you get?_

"No, that's not it. I just-"

"Mike, we can just mess around. I'm not expecting anything out of it." She smiled at him, innocently.

"Look, I'm just tired. That game wore me out and I just wanna go home."

Stacey crossed her arms, huffing like a child who didn't get their way.

"Fine, see you later Mike."

She walked, well more like stomped off, and Mike could not have been more relieved. He could finally go home, alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thanks for reading! Hope you're enjoying the story!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double update today because I feel like the last chapter & this one aren't as eventful! Still important to the story though! 
> 
> Enjoy!

The next day, El attempted to be a little nicer, for Sara's sake. She woke up, much too early for her liking. The sun shining through the windows was bright, so bright, there was no way she could go back to sleep.

El showered, then got dressed, deciding to wear a short, black flowy skirt, with a white tank top. She didn't put much makeup on, but usually she never did. She also didn't do anything with her hair, since it was wet and usually looked okay when it dried. After doing everything else she needed to do to finish getting ready, she made sure to put her book in her bag. She walked out front, to where Sara and her dad were eating breakfast on the porch.

"Good morning! I made breakfast, all kinds of breakfast, have a seat!" Jim was extra cheerful this morning and El didn't really know why.

She looked over all the food spread out on the table. Too much meat for her.

"I'm good, thanks though. I'm gonna go for a walk, later!"

She smiled at her dad and Sara, then left.

"She's a vegetarian." Sara told her dad, with a mouth full of pancake.

"Oh, really? Since when?"

Sara had to think for a minute.

"A little over a year, I think."

Jim looked down at the table covered in at least three different types of meat.

"Huh... Vegetarian." He said, mostly to himself. He didn't see that one coming.

 

***

 

El spent most of her morning walking on the beach. When she got tired, she would find a shady place to sit and read for a little bit. The beach wasn't as crowded as it was the day before, thankfully, so she didn't have any distractions.

Since she didn't eat much, just a protein bar she had found in her bag, her stomach was growling like crazy by lunchtime. She headed back toward the house, so she could get some food.

When she'd made it back in front of the house, she noticed a raccoon digging around in the sand.

An older lady walking nearby must've noticed the same thing, because she was now standing beside El, watching the raccoon.

"Must've found a turtle's nest." The lady said, sounding a bit concerned. "And it sure is enjoying those eggs."

Enjoying the eggs... what? It was eating them?

"What? No no no!" She dropped her bag in the sand, running toward the creature. El couldn't let that thing eat those turtle eggs.

The raccoon scurried away and El fell down to her knees, where the raccoon had just been, to see what damage had been done. Buried in the sand, was a handful of turtle eggs, most of them untouched, but sadly a few had been eaten.

"Oh my God..." El had to do something to keep the rest of them safe, away from that raccoon in case it came back.

She went searching around the back of the house for something, anything she could use to keep the raccoon from messing with those eggs. She found enough random items that she thought might work: sand castle buckets, trash can lids, even a shopping cart that was left down the road. It probably belonged to a homeless person, but they would just have to get another one, because this was far more important.

 

***

 

Sara and Jim were out on the porch with binoculars, watching El move around like a mad woman. She had been out there for an hour and they had no clue what she was doing.

"I think she's lost it dad." Sara said, handing him the binoculars, so he could get a good look.

Jim looked through the binoculars, watching El stack a few buckets in the sand. He figured he would see what was going on, so he walked out to where El was doing, well, whatever it was she was doing.

"Uhm, El. Honey, what the hell are you doing?"

El jumped a bit, not expecting her dad to be behind her.

"A sea turtle laid eggs and a raccoon was eating them. I had to put all this junk around the nest, so it can't eat the rest of them."

Jim walked around, inspecting El's hard work. El picked her phone up from where it was lying on her bag, put threw it back down.

"I googled it and this website said that raccoons can smell the eggs, so I'm sure it'll be back soon enough. It also said to call the aquarium and get someone to come check it out. I was gonna do just that, but my phone died..."

"I think I have a number to the aquarium on the fridge, we can give em' a call."

El picked up a piece of wood, packing the sand down around the barrier she'd made.

"I don't know how they're going to improve on this though, I mean this is pretty good work." Jim said jokingly, hoping El would find it funny.

She didn't.

She threw the piece of wood down, grabbed her stuff, and got up to leave. Of course her dad would find this funny. She's trying to help these sea turtles and he thinks it's all a big joke.

"El, come on. I was kidding. Really, you did a great job!" He threw his hands up, he really can't win with her can he?

"You're overreacting!" He yelled, as she walked further away, eventually making it back into the house.

When El came in, Sara was sitting on the living room floor, working on a puzzle that she had spread out in front of her. Jim came back inside, sitting down beside her to help.

"Can we fly a kite later dad?" Sara excitedly asked him, as she put another piece of the puzzle in place.

"We can fly three kites! All of us!" Jim said, loud enough for El to hear in the other room.

"Uh, I think you're dreaming dad." She yelled back, making him laugh.

El grabbed the house phone, along with the number off the fridge and quickly dialed it, hoping they weren't closed. Thankfully someone picked up.

"Hi, yes. I need to report a sea turtle's nest outside of my house... Yeah, I'll hold."

El held the phone to her ear, impatiently waiting for someone to pick up on the other end. Her dad was now leaning against the doorway, smiling at her.

"What? Why are you smiling at me?"

"You said it was your house. _Your_ house." He couldn’t stop smiling.

El rolled her eyes, thinking her dad was crazy.

"Why are smiling so much? Seriously, it's kinda creeping me out." She was joking, but also kinda not. His smile was a bit creepy.

El walked to the other side of the kitchen, hoping someone would actually pick up soon.

Jim went back to sit beside Sara, smiling to himself a couple of times, wondering if his smile really was creepy.

"Sara, is my smile creepy?"

She looked up at her dad, finding it weird that he had asked that.

"I'm not sure, show me it!" She threw the puzzle pieces in her hand down, giving her dad her full attention.

"Well, I'm doing it already. This is my smile."

Sara winced, "That's your smile?? Okay, show a little bit of teeth or something."

He did as followed, but Sara just made more of an unsatisfied face.

"Yeah, uh... It is a little creepy. It's okay, though. We'll work on it!" She patted her dad on the shoulder, then resumed putting together her puzzle.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, El had finally gotten to talk to someone at the aquarium. They said they would send someone out the next day to take care of it.

She had really hoped they would come today. This just meant that those eggs would be unprotected all night long. Well, she did build that barrier around them, but she wasn't an idiot. That thing wouldn't be able to keep that raccoon out.

She decided that she would just protect them herself. Yeah, that's what she'd do. She'd sleep on the beach tonight and fight off as many raccoons as she had to. How exactly? She didn't know, but that was a problem for later.

Right now, she needed to get something to eat. She was going to eat something here, but having had enough of her dad and his creepy smile for the day, she decided she'd just go find a cheap place to eat. Hopefully she'd find one that wasn't too crowded, because she really wanted to finish the book she'd been reading.

This time El didn't feel like she had to sneak out. She told both her dad and Sara where was going and when she would be back, which made them both very happy, especially Jim.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter things start getting good (;


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not sure if this chapter actually posted or not when I thought it did, but I deleted it and posted again so hopefully you guys are reading this <3

Mike's POV

"Wait, so you told her you were tired?" Lucas asked, surprised that his friend had been so idiotic.

Mike hadn't talked to Lucas since he had ditched them all last night, so he was filling him in on what happened with Stacey.

"Yes, because I actually was tired."

"She wanted to sleep with you Mike. One of the hottest girls we know, wanted to sleep with you and you turned her down, because you were tired??"

Mike really didn't understand why Lucas was making this a big deal. How did him sleeping or not sleeping with someone affect Lucas?

"Lucas, I dated her and still didn't sleep with her. Why would I sleep with her now, when I don't even like her?"

Lucas shook his head at his friend sitting across the table from him, wondering whether he had a brain in that head of his or not.

"Because she's hot!?"

"Well if she's so hot, why don't you sleep with her?" Mike was over this conversation already. He didn't like Stacey that way and definitely didn't want to sleep with her.

"She doesn't want me man! She wants you. Come on, you guys were perfect together."

"Perfect? Yeah, no. Not even close."

Mike gathered up all the trash and leftover food from his lunch, as Lucas started to do the same. They got up from the table, throwing everything away in a trashcan nearby.

"Can we just stop talking about Stacey? It's making my head hurt and we really need to get back to work. My dad's got eyes everywhere and he'll kill us if we're late."

They both worked at Mike's dad's break shop on the weekends. Even though his dad owned it, they still would get docked pay for taking too long of a lunch break. Mike really didn't want a pointless conversation costing him his hard earned money.

Lucas sighed, patting his friend on the back.

"Fine, but you'll come to your senses soon."

Mike rolled his eyes, as they walked toward the front of the restaurant to leave. 

“Not likely,” he mumbled to himself. 

Before Mike made it to the door, something in the corner caught his eye. Well, more like  _someone._

It was the girl from the beach, that he just kept seeing.

She was sitting alone at a table in the corner, reading a book. Mike couldn't help but stare. For some reason, she was just so intriguing to him. And kinda beautiful.

Okay, not just kinda. She was beautiful. 

As if she had felt someone staring at her, El looked up from her book, immediately locking eyes with Mike. After a moment, she looked back down.

Mike turned away, but knew he had been caught. He was literally just standing in the middle of an empty restaurant, directly facing her table. It couldn't be more obvious that he was staring at her.

_Might as well go talk to her you weirdo._

He hesitantly approached her table, causing her to slowly look up at him. 

"So what are you stalking me now?" 

"What? No, no I come here all the time for lunch. Seriously, like all the time. I work at my dad's brake shop just down the street, so it's real convenient. I-" Mike didn't know why words just kept coming out of his mouth, but he couldn't stop them.

"I was kidding." She said, interrupting his babbling.

"Right. Of course you were." Mike sat down in the chair beside hers, which clearly surprised El, judging by the look on her face. It honestly surprised Mike too.

"You know, I almost didn't recognize you with a shirt on."

Mike couldn't help but laugh. He was also sure he had the dumbest smile on his face, but that he couldn't help either.

"Uh yeah, again, I'm really sorry about what happened at the beach. You know, I laid awake for the longest time after that thinking about it. I felt like such a jerk."

El looked at him skeptically.

"Yeah, I seriously doubt that happened."

He laughed again, while El just stared at him.

"You should really pay more attention, though." 

El let her book fall to the table, her hands tightly gripping the sides of it

"Excuse me? Are you implying that it was my fault you ran into me?"

Mikes eyes immediately grew wide, not meaning for that to sound so rude.

"No, no definitely not. I just mean people around here are wild and I would hate for something bad to happen to you. It's good to be alert... It's just some advice, you know. I'm just looking out for you." He smiled, looking genuine. 

She stared blankly for a moment, then smiled, once again though, it looked more fake than real.

"Well, I'll see ya around Mike." Mike thought she would get up to leave, but she just went back to reading her book. She clearly wanted him to leave, but he couldn't bring himself to move.

"Yeah, I hope so." El glanced over at Mike, then shut her book. This time she did get up.

"And what do I call you when that happens?" Mike really didn't know why he couldn't stop opening his mouth. He just kept on talking for some reason and he really wished he could stop it, but at the same time he never wanted to stop talking to her.

El smiled at him, a real smile this time.

"El."

She put the strap of her bag over her shoulder and grabbed her book off the table.

"Okay, well bye El."

El looked at Mike one last time. He was smiling like an idiot.

"Goodbye Mike."

Then she was gone and Mike didn't think he would ever stop smiling. 

 

After he saw El leave, Lucas came over to where Mike was still sitting. He was gonna come over sooner, but felt like he shouldn't interrupt.

"Dude, you coming or what? I thought you didn't wanna be late."

Mike had completely forgotten about work.

"Oh shit, yeah let's go."

Once they had gotten in Mike's truck to head back to work, Lucas noticed Mike still had a smile on his face. 

"Hey, you know who her dad is right?" Lucas asked, hesitantly.

"No? Why?"

"Dude. That's Jim Hopper's daughter." 

Mike looked to Lucas, not believing that to be true.

"Since when does he have a daughter?"

"Apparently, she's here for the summer, heard she's from Manhattan." 

Mike's hands tightened on the wheel, instantly wishing her dad had been  _anyone_  else. 

 

***

 

El's POV 

El was currently reclined on a beach chair, watching the waves flood the shore. It was completely dark out now. She adjusted her blankets, making sure to cover up both of her feet. She really couldn't believe she was sleeping out here. One of those raccoons, or God knows what else that's out here, could possibly kill her in her sleep. 

But it must be done, because the sea turtles needed her. What kind of animal lover would she be if she just left these eggs out here unprotected? 

She had a baseball bat lying close by, prepared to use it to scare the raccoon off. Of course she wouldn't physically hurt the raccoon. She would just use it for show, but she did feel a lot safer knowing she had some form of protection. 

 

After awhile of reading her book, which she was so close to finishing, she felt herself growing more and more tired. She marked the page she was on, then shut off her flashlight, which was a pain to have to read with. 

She made herself comfortable on the beach chair, well tried to. She just knew that it would be impossible for her to go to sleep on this thing. 

As she looked up at the stars, her thoughts went to Mike. Why was she seeing this guy everywhere? Twice at the beach, then today at the restaurant. 

_He'll probably pop up in my dreams next._

From their conversation earlier, she was starting to think he was flirting with her. That made absolutely no sense, considering they were definitely not each other's type. He was probably just looking for someone to fool around with, and that was not happening. 

She pushed all thoughts of him out of her head, wishing she could just go to sleep already. 

Eventually, she did fall asleep, thanks to the calming sounds of the ocean, with the bat clutched tightly in her arms. 

 

***

 

El could faintly hear someone talking. They kept getting louder and louder, until she finally understood the words they were saying. 

"Hey, wake up!" She heard the deep voice say, while whoever it was shook her shoulder, trying to wake her up. 

She slowly opened her eyes, squinting at how bright the sun was.

Once her eyes fully adjusted, she finally saw who was responsible for waking her up. 

It was Mike. 

_You have got to be kidding me._

She instantly sat up in her chair, pushing the loose strands of her wind blown hair out of her face. 

"What are you doing here??" She asked, really hating that he had to see her like this. 

"Someone called the aquarium, said there was a nest out here that I needed to come check out." He said, shrugging his shoulders. 

He was in much different clothes than from when she saw him last. Yesterday, he was wearing a grease covered mechanic uniform. Today, he was wearing a blue short sleeved polo, with the words "Wrightsville Beach Aquarium" written across the front and khaki shorts. 

"I thought you worked at a break shop?" 

_The break shop and the aquarium? Man, maybe this guy wasn't rich._

Mike shook his head, dropping a bag, containing all the stuff he needed, in the sand. 

"I do, but I also volunteer at the aquarium some. So where's this nest at?" 

"It's right there." El said, pointing at where it was. 

Mike looked down, just seeing a bunch of junk. 

"You do all this?" He asked, trying to hold his laughter in.

El glared at him, knowing exactly what he was thinking.

"Why? You wanna make fun of me for it? Look, I was just trying to do whatever I could to protect them, since you guys couldn't get here soon enough. I know it probably didn't do much, but we're not all experts here." She crossed her arms over her chest, waiting for him to say something about her makeshift barrier. 

"No, actually. It's good that you did this. It surprisingly looked like it kept them safe for the night. Good job!" He held his hand up for a high five, which she unenthusiastically returned. 

_A high five? Really? This guy is just full of surprises._

"So you gonna put something up to keep the raccoons away?" She asked him, as she folded up the blankets she had used to sleep with last night. 

"No, I'm just here to take a look and mark it off. Someone else will have to come out another day this week, to put the cage up. That'll keep them out for good." Mike bent down, starting to remove random items she had used to make the barrier, so that he could mark off the nest. 

"Seriously? So the eggs are gonna be unprotected until whenever the hell that person decides to show up? They need to be protected now! There are raccoons all over this place!" 

"Oh really, where are they now?" Mike continued clearing the area around the nest, unaware El was glaring at him. 

"I guess I scared them away, but I can't keep watch out here 24/7." 

Mike looked at El, taking in her appearance. She still looked gorgeous, even having just woken up. As soon as Mike's eyes met hers, she looked away, beginning to stuff things in her bag. 

"Yeah, I bet you did scare them off. I'm a little scared too." 

El stopped what she was doing, once again glaring at Mike.

"Wow. That's hilarious. I'd love to see you sleep out here all night, while it's freezing cold with a baseball bat in your hand, hoping that a raccoon doesn't kill you in your sleep."

Mike stood up, surprised that she cared enough to do that. 

"You seriously slept out here? All night long?"

"Oh no, my hair just looks this bad all on its own." 

She had gotten all her things packed into her bag, now she finally could leave. 

"Yeah, I noticed the hair, wasn't gonna say anything but..." Mike jokingly winced, knowing it would probably make her even more annoyed. 

El flipped him off, with the hand not holding the baseball bat. 

"Goodbye Mike." 

And with that, she walked away. Mike yelled goodbye to her, as he bent down to finish what he had came here to do, thinking of El the whole time. 

_Man, that girl is something else..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will be out soon! It’s the longest one so far (-:


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This has been the longest chapter so far, I'm proud of myself! Enjoy!

El's POV

After starting her morning off being woken up by Mike, El couldn't seem to get him out of her head.

While she found him to be slightly annoying, she also thought he was very cute. He seemed to have a good sense of humor too. She got the feeling he was often trying to make her laugh, even if his attempts weren't so great.

At first, she had assumed he was snobby, but she wasn't so sure about that anymore. Now she was starting to think that he didn't have a mean bone in his entire body. He's already apologized multiple times for what happened at the beach, and meant it, which most guys wouldn't do.

He also looks at her in this weird way, but it's not a bad weird. It's a good weird, that makes her feel things inside, things that she doesn't want to acknowledge just yet.

_Okay, so maybe he isn't too bad..._

She was trying to be cold toward him, because the last thing she wants is some random guy chasing after her. But it was getting a bit hard to do that, when being in his presence made that cold exterior of hers want to melt away. And since she seemed to run into him everywhere she went, it might start melting pretty soon.

She really couldn't help it, those dark eyes of his just really captivate her. She had to force herself to make as little eye contact as possible with him earlier, just so she wouldn't freeze up like she had that night at the carnival.

Once she finally got back inside, El had somehow ended up watching Mike work, through the living room window. Thankfully, Sara and her dad went into town to get ice cream. It would've embarrassed the hell out of her if anyone knew she had been watching him, for over an hour.

But once again, she couldn't help it. Something about this guy was slowly claiming her attention.

 

***

 

Mike had finally left, which meant she could actually go on with her day. She showered and got dressed, all the while, still thinking of Mike.

Afterwards, she made herself some breakfast, eating it out on the front porch, so she could enjoy the nice weather.

She was still home alone, which she figured she should be grateful for, but she wasn't. She had grown insanely bored and at this point, she would even enjoy the company of her dad and Sara. There was absolutely nothing to do in this house except play piano and she definitely wasn't doing that.

She hadn't played the piano since her dad left them years ago and nothing was going to change that. 

Deciding that she couldn't sit in the house any longer, she grabbed her things and walked into town. She had to use her phone to find her way around, still not having a clue on how to get anywhere.

 

El eventually spotted a music store on the other side of the street, quickly crossing the road to get to it. The inside was filled with CD's, vinyls, and various music instruments for sale. One of those instruments just so happened to be a piano. It took El's breath away. She ran her fingers along the keys, admiring its beauty. After realizing what she was doing, she pulled her fingers away, as if it had burned her skin. She walked away from the piano, as her thoughts of how beautiful it probably sounded faded away.

She found the section where her style of music was and began searching through the bins. She noticed a few good records, but all of them were insanely overpriced.

What she didn't notice was a familiar redheaded girl on the next aisle over, staring her down.

Max snatched a handful of cheap music note bracelets off the counter, dropping them in El's bag, as she casually walked behind her. El, of course didn't see that, but she did see a blur of fiery red hair go by.

"Max?" El was so glad she had run in to her. Since she had never asked for Max's number, she had no way of contacting her.

Max glanced at El, but kept walking.

"Max? What's wrong?"

She followed Max toward the front of the store, Max still not acknowledging her. She reached out and touched her arm, trying to get her attention. Max turned around, roughly shoving El's hand off of her arm.

"I saw you with Troy. What you think since you're only here for a few months that you can just go after other people's boyfriends?" 

 _What??_ El had never been so confused.

"What are you talking about? I didn't go after Troy?"

"No? Well he told me all about how you wanted to sneak off and mess around that night at the beach!"

_Of course he did._

"Oh my God, he's the one who asked me that and I turned him down! Max, I would never do that!"

Max wasn't convinced. Why would she trust some random girl over the guy she loved?

"Save it. I saw the way you were looking at him."

"Like he's a disgusting pig? Because that's exactly how I was looking at him."

Max stormed out the front door, El following right behind her to hopefully convince her that she was telling the truth.

Only she didn't get the chance, the sound of the alarms beeping right as she walked through the door stopping her. She looked around confused as to why the alarms were going off when she had nothing in her hands.

A security guard rushed over, demanding to check her bag. She willingly handed it over, not expecting him to pull out a handful of bracelets she had never seen before.

"I didn't take those! I don't even know how they got in my bag!" El frantically told the man. She looked out the window to see Max standing on the other side of the street, with a smug grin on her face.

_She put those in my bag?? What a fucking bitch._

 

Unfortunatelythe store owner didn't believe that El was set up, so he called the police, which is how El ended up in the front seat of her dad's car. Neither of them saying a word.

They had called him to come down to the station, which he was not thrilled about. Sara wasn't too surprised though, considering El had done this before.

Only this time, she didn't do it and nobody was believing her.

She told the police what had happened, but they figured she was just making it up.

Luckily, the store owner had working security cameras, so they were going to check the footage. They let El go for now, since they had no proof yet whether she did it or not.

As soon as they pulled into the driveway, El rushed out of the car and into the house.

She shoved her suitcase out in the middle of the floor, throwing all of her clothes in it.

Sara and her dad were now in the living room, both of them freezing when she came out of the room, with her suitcase in tow.

"El, where are you going?" her dad asked sighing.

"I'm leaving. This place sucks and I don't want to be here anymore," she huffed, her mind completely set on leaving as soon as possible.

"Just let her leave, dad! She doesn't even wanna be here! We were having such a good day and you ruined it!" Sara slammed the bedroom door shut, her outburst surprising El.

It was silent for a moment, neither El or her dad knew what to say.

El sat down on the couch, pulling her knees up to her chest. She really just wanted to go home and get away from this place. If her mom had just let her stay home, none of this would have happened.

 _But if you had stayed home, you wouldn't have met-"_ Shestopped her brain from completing such a silly thought.

"You don't have to leave," Jim told her sincerely, as he sat down on the couch beside her.

She pulled her knees even closer, resting her chin on them.

"I didn't steal anything dad. I've done it before, back home, but not here. I wouldn't do that."

El didn't know why she told him that. It would probably just make him want to not believe her even more.

"Okay, I believe you."

El immediately looked to her dad, needing to make sure that she had heard him right.

"You believe me?"

"Yeah, I do. If you say you didn't do it, then I believe you, El. And when they get that security footage back, they'll believe you too and everything will be okay." He placed a hand on one of her knees, assuring her that it would all be okay. El didn't know what to say. Her dad believed her? She didn't expect this.

"So are you still leaving? Because I'd really love it if you stayed."

El smiled at her dad, thankful that he wasn't assuming the worst in her, when he had every reason to.

"No, I'm not leaving. I don't even think I could if I wanted to... I have no car."

They both started laughing, rather loudly, which brought a confused Sara out of the bedroom. She got over her little tantrum once she found out everything was okay and jumped up on the small couch between them.

"Since nobody is going anywhere anytime soon, let's watch a movie!!" Sara excitedly suggested.

So they did. El, Sara and Jim all piled on the couch, sharing a big bowl of popcorn, as they watched the movie Sara had picked out.

 

A few hours later, the police station called, letting El know the footage showed that she didn't take the bracelets. They asked if she had known the name of the other girl, but she couldn't bring herself to rat Max out. She could have easily given the police her name, but it didn't feel right. Max wasn't aware of how disgusting Troy was so of course she would believe him over El, someone she just met.

She just wished Max would've done something a little less serious like slap her or something, but what's done is done. She hoped that she’d run into her again and maybe she could try to convince her that she really isn't interested in Troy. 

After hearing the good news, El gave her dad a big hug. Yeah, you heard right, a hug. Jim hadn't gotten one of those from El in years. It surprised both of them, but neither dared to show it, not wanting to make it a big deal. Even though, it was a very big deal.

That hug was just the start of the gradual change in their relationship, which both of them would soon be very thankful for.

 

***

 

Once again, El found herself lying on that insanely uncomfortable beach chair.

If someone from the aquarium didn't get the cage up tomorrow, she was going down there and giving them a piece of her mind. She didn't come here to sleep outside every night and keep watch over sea turtle eggs.

Well, really she didn't come here for anything, but this was not how she planned on spending her nights. She'd much rather be tucked in bed reading, instead she was stuck with this stupid beach chair and some worn out blankets. Thankfully, the moon was so bright tonight that she didn't need a flashlight to read.

El had managed to make it through a page and a half, before hearing the sound of something making its way closer and closer to her. She reached down beside her chair, grabbing her trusty baseball bat.

_Oh man it's the raccoons. They've come for me. This is how I'm gonna die. My obituary is really gonna read: El Hopper, 17, death by raccoons._

She gripped the wooden bat in her lap, ready to defend herself if needed.

"Fancy meeting you here," an all too familiar deep voice suddenly spoke from behind her. She let out a sigh of relief that it wasn't a bunch of raccoons. It was just Mike.

 _Wait, Mike?? What the hell is he doing here?_ She wondered, as she watched him set up a chair and throw his bag down in the sand. Mike sat down beside her, then began unpacking his backpack. He pulled out a flashlight, a blanket, various snacks and drinks, and even a radio?

"Are you moving in?" She questioned him, clearly not understanding what he was doing here with all this stuff.

"If I'm gonna sleep out here all night, I need the essentials and plenty of protection from those raccoons you keep going on about." He continued pulling things out of his backpack, acting as if the whole situation was completely normal.

"You're gonna sleep out here??"

"Well yeah. You said, and I quote, "I'd love to see you sleep out here all night, whil-" He was now imitating El, in a high pitched voice, but she cut him off.

"Oh God, you're something else you know that?" she interrupted, shaking her head at him.

"I could say the same about you, Babe Ruth. Were you really gonna hit me with this thing?" Mike snatched the baseball bat from her hand, spinning it around in his hands a couple of times.

"No. I thought you were a raccoon or multiple raccoons... I wouldn't have hit the raccoons either, just needed it to scare them off." El sighed, suspiciously eyeing Mike for a moment.

"What are you really doing here Mike?"

"Truthfully, I'm here for the town's sake. We came together and all agreed that we cannot take another one of your bad hair days."

El gasped and playfully smacked his shoulder with her book, a smile slowly forming on her face.

She settled back into her chair, attempting to continue reading.

"Oh  _Anna Karenina_? That's a classic."

"It sure is." El mumbled back, still focused on the book.

Mike suddenly spoke again in a loud, dramatic voice.

"All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way."

El was kinda surprised Mike had even heard of the book and now he's quoting it?

"Is quoting Tolstoy supposed to impress me or something?" She asked, rather amused.

"No... but did it?" Mike was smiling at her, with that adorable smile that he seems to always have around her.

_Damn it, Mike. Why do you have to be so cute?_

"Maybe a little," she teased, making Mike's smile grow wider (if that was even possible).

El attempted to start reading again, but Mike continued on with the conversation.

"I hear you're from New York? You know I actually got accepted to Columbia. Maybe we'll be neighbors!"

"Wouldn't that be a dream?" She replied, still trying to focus on the book, even though she was far too distracted at this point to comprehend any of the words.

"So why are you here?"

"My mom made me and my sister come stay with my dad for the summer. I guess so I could baby sit turtle eggs while a volleyball player/mechanic/aquarium volunteer hits on me every five seconds." El joked, smiling at him. 

"Oh I'm not hitting on you... I'm actually engaged."

The smile on El's face dropped.

_What??_

The serious look on Mike's face quickly disappeared as he busted out laughing.

"That's so not funny!" She yelled, once again lightly hitting him with her book.

"Why the hell would I be engaged?? And to whom?" 

"That blonde bitch from the volleyball game?" El mumbled to herself, except louder than intended, so Mike heard.

"Who Stacey??"

El didn't know her name, so she just shrugged.

"Oh God no."

"Not your type? I'm shocked. Your clearly hers." She said bitterly.

"Why do you say that?" He questioned, already sensing that she wasn't too fond of Stacey.

"Oh please, I saw the way she was looking at you and how she kept touching you. She's so into you, it's pathetic." El was making her resentment toward  _Stacey_  very obvious right now, but she really didn't care.

"Oh, I know she's into me. I'm just not into her.   
But you seem to really not like her, what are you jealous or something?"

"And why would I be jealous of her?"

"I don't know maybe because she got to touch me when I was all sweaty and shirtless," he said flirtatiously, as he winked at her.

"You're ridiculous." She responded immediately, a slight blush making its way onto her cheeks.

"Am I though? Just admit it, you want some Mike."

"YES! You are ridiculous... And NO I do not want some Mike!" She lightly shoved his shoulder, making him fake a shocked expression, as if she had hurt actually hurt him.

"You so do, though."

El smiled at him, as they both began to laugh. Mike looked out toward the water, but El couldn't tear her eyes off of him. She never knew a guy could be this beautiful.

_Oh fuck. Maybe I do..._

 

Not too far behind them, Sara and Jim had gotten the binoculars out, once again, watching El. This time she wasn't alone. She was accompanied by a boy, a boy that was sitting a little too close for her dad's liking.

"I think El has a boyfriend." she said giggling, loving this whole situation.

Jim didn't know who this boy was, but he was about to find out.

 

***

 

Mike's POV

Mike was having the best night of his life. El was actually talking to him and she kept smiling. Not that fake smile he usually gets either. This time it's real and every single time she does it, he feels as if he can't breathe.

He was so glad he actually went through with this plan. He almost didn't come because he was afraid she'd be even more annoyed by him, but thankfully, he was very wrong about that.

 

Mike was currently in the middle of stealing another glance at the beautiful girl beside him, when he heard the sound of someone behind them clearing their throat.

It scared the shit out of both, him and El.

"Jesus dad!" El yelled at the man, who was now staring Mike down.

"Who are you?" He immediately asked Mike.

Mike stood up, reaching out to shake his hand. El's dad was a very big, intimidating man. Mike wanted to make the best impression he could. Besides, he needed all the brownie points he could get with this man.

"Mike. Mike Wheeler, sir"

He roughly shook Mike's hand.

"Is Mike Wheeler bothering you El?"

El looked at a very terrified Mike, clearly trying to hold her laughter in.

"Ehh maybe a little bit."

Mike looked at her, his eyes wide.

_This man is gonna kill me._

El's dad continued to stare him down, as he was currently crushing the bones in all of Mike's fingers.

"No dad, he's not bothering me. He's fine, really." She assured him, to Mike's relief.

"What are you doing here Mike Wheeler?"

He finally let go of Mike's hand, but wasn't letting up on the staring. It was scaring the hell out of Mike. And in this situation, Mike felt as if looks really could kill.

"I'm protecting your daugh- I mean the sea turtles. I'm protecting the sea turtles, sir." Thank God he wasn't still grasping Mike's hand, because he probably would've just broken the entire thing right then.

"Mhm well, I don't own the beach so I guess I can't tell you to leave. So I'm just gonna..." He picked up the baseball bat and drew a line in the sand, then moved Mike's chair further away from El's.

"Stay on your side of the line, yeah?"

Mike frantically nodded.

"I'll be watching you, so no funny business." He strictly told Mike, as he slowly made his way back to the house.

"Of course not, goodnight sir." Mike yelled back, waving, even though he was now facing the opposite direction.

 

Once they were finally alone again, El could not contain her laughter any longer.

"Oh my God, you should've seen your face! That was so great!" She yelled, clearly very amused.

Mike sat back in his chair, his heart rate finally getting slower, as El's laughter began to die down. 

"Ehh maybe a little bit" Mike mocked El's words from before, "Were you trying to get me killed?!"

"He wouldn't kill you." El rolled her eyes, laughing a bit more.

"Did you not see him staring me down that entire time?? He wanted to murder me!"

"Don't you worry, I wouldn't have let him," she said smiling, as she gently placed a hand on his shoulder, patting it like he was a child in need of comfort.

 

***

 

"So you wanna play 21 questions? Mike asked, interrupting the silence. It had been a few hours, since Mike had arrived and he had run out of things to do.

"21 questions? Wow how old are you? Besides, I'm trying to read, so no..."

"No you're not, you finished forever ago. Didn't think I noticed you stopped turning pages huh?"

El sighed, accepting that she had been caught. She wasn't trying to avoid talking to him, she just didn't really know what to say.

She closed the book, stuck it in her bag, then repositioned herself to face Mike.

"Fine, let's play. I'll go first. What's your favorite color?"

"Lame... but it's blue."

"Funny, that's my favorite color too!" El faked a shocked expression, but actually finding it cool that they had something in common, even if it was just a favorite color.

"Yeah, but I don't see you wearing it! My shirt's blue, so clearly I love it more than you do."

El raised an eyebrow, a subtle grin appearing on her lip.

"My bra's blue, wanna see?" She innocently asked him, noticing him start to blush.

"Considering your dad is probably watching us right now and I really don't wanna die, I'll unfortunately have to pass."

El pouted, "Bummer... Ok, go!"

Mike thought for moment, not wanting to ask her something she wouldn't feel comfortable answering. He would just settle for the lame questions.

"Got any nicknames?"

"Well, my friends back home call me Eleven."

"Eleven? Like the number?"

 _Why does everyone always ask that?_ El thought to herself _, Seriously what else could eleven be besides a number?_

"No, like the letter. Yes the number!"

"Where'd that come from?" Mike asked, confused as to how someone could end up having a random number as their name.

El contemplated whether or not to tell him, but decided that she would.

"If I tell you, you can't judge me okay? Promise?"

Mike noticed the serious expression on her face, and knew that she wasn't joking around.

"Promise," he assured her, as he nodded his head.

"My friend Will and I, we used to shoplift for... fun? It was only for a short time though. I was going through a weird time and it just helped me feel better somehow, I don't know... I don't do it anymore, fyi."

"That's good El, that you don't do it anymore."

El looked at Mike, unaware that it was similar to the way he usually looks at her, the way that she secretly loved.

(Mike now also loves to be looked at this way too.)

"Anyways, we would only really steal from the 7-Eleven near our school, so he's seven-"

"And you're eleven. That's clever, I like it!" Mike excited interrupted her. 

"Thanks, I guess. Just don't call me it, okay? It brings back memories that I really don't wanna relive."

All that name made her think of was the horrible feeling she had for months after her dad had left. The feeling that it was her fault, that she had done something to make him leave. That feeling eventually went away, but thinking about it might bring it back to the surface and that wouldn't end well.

"I understand... So, not to get all in your business but I might've heard someone say you stole from the music shop in town?"

"You heard about that??" She didn't understand how he knew about that, it literally just happened today.

"Yeah things don't stay secret around here for too long."

 _Well some things do_ , Mike's brain reminded him.

"Like I said, I don't do it anymore and I didn't steal anything from that place today. Max set me up because she thinks I'm into Troy."

"Gross." Just the mention of Troy's name made Mike want to vomit.

"Exactly, he's disgusting. Why the hell would I be into him?" El also felt a little nauseous thinking about that pig. 

"Yeah he's the worst... Besides, doesn't she know that you're into me?"

El playfully rolled her eyes, but didn't deny anything. 

"Ok, back to the game. You go!" El said, attempting to change the subject.

"Hmm... Favorite food?"

"Easy. Eggos!"

Mike laughed, mocking her words from earlier, "Eggos? Wow how old are you?"

"Shut up! They're good!"

"Yeah, if you're a child!" Mike couldn't remember the last time he had eaten one of those, but of course El would love the most random food out there.

"Fine, my turn. When did you first have sex?" She bluntly asked, surprising Mike.

"Woah, that escalated." He didn't expect that one and he really didn't wanna answer the question.

"Who's the child now?" El smiled, proudly. "So you gonna answer or can I go back to not reading my book?"

 

They continued to play the silly game for awhile, until El eventually called it a night and went to sleep. To Mike's satisfaction, she fell asleep with her body facing toward his.

And as creepy as it sounds, he stared at her for the rest of the night, until he also drifted off to sleep.

 

Both of them dreaming of the person lying next to them...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're finally moving along here with the story and I'm loving it! Hope you are too!
> 
> Leave me some comments on your thoughts so far (if you'd like ofc) <3


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this took me so long to post! Blame the season 3 trailer because I haven't been able to function properly since it was released! I'll talk about that more at the end though, enjoy!

The next morning, Mike woke up immediately feeling the soreness throughout his entire body. He had chosen to ditch the beach chair and slept on a thick blanket in the sand, which clearly ending up being the wrong choice. He slowly sat up, immediately shaking all the sand out of his curly hair.

Beside him, El was still peacefully sleeping. He smiled to himself, remembering their conversations from last night. They talked for hours and the more he got to know about her, the more interesting she became to him. She was truly one of a kind.

Mike really didn't want to wake El up, since it was still pretty early. He moved to his chair, hoping to get a bit more rest.

He didn't get much though, because all too soon, he was being woken up by an incessant tapping on his shoulder.

Mike's eyes shot open, finding a short, blonde headed girl right in his face.

"What's your name?" She curiously asked, with a wide smile on her face.

"Uh, I'm Mike. Who are you?" He sat up, rubbing his tired eyes. He looked around for any adults nearby, assuming the kid had wandered off from her parents. Nobody else was around, so clearly she hadn't. 

_Where the hell did this kid come from?_

"I'm Sara, her sister." She said, nodding toward a sleeping El. 

"Oh man, you have El for a sister, I'm so sorry." Mike joked, making Sara giggle.

"Yeah, well you're her boyfriend, so right back at ya." She said, playfully poking his shoulder. 

"I'm not her boyfriend. She is pretty amazing though, so that wouldn't be a bad thing." 

 _It wouldn't be a bad thing at all,_ Mike thought to himself. 

"What's in the bag?" Mike asked her, pointing toward the paper bag he had just noticed in Sara's hand. 

"Oh, I brought you breakfast!" Sara excitedly held it out for Mike to grab. 

Mike graciously took the bag from Sara, opening it up to see a handful of eggos.

"Eggos? Why am I not surprised?" 

Sara giggled again, smiling at Mike. 

"Thank you, Sara. I'll be sure to save some for El." He patted her head as if she were a puppy, which made her wonder why the heck this guy was hanging out with her sister. He seemed so nice and El was, well she was just El. 

"Good luck waking her up, she is not a morning person." Sara quietly yelled, as she left to go back inside. 

 

***

 

El woke up feeling pretty great, happy even. Last night had been fun and she really enjoyed getting to know more about Mike.

She liked him, a lot actually. As much as she didn't want to, she just couldn't help it. She had only known him for a few days, but she already knew he had more than what she could ask for in a guy. He was amusing, sweet, insanely good looking. The list could go on and on really. After last night, these thoughts only became more unavoidable in her mind.   

The second she completely gave in to those thoughts though, her brain instantly made her consider all of the things that could go wrong. She didn't want this to end badly and then be even more of a mess. Her life was fucked up enough as it is, adding relationship drama wouldn't help. She decided it was better to just not even go there. No matter how much she might want to, she can't. Time for ice cold El to return.

She began to stir around in her chair, feeling uncomfortable from the sleep she had gotten last night. Her eyes took a moment to adjust, due to the sun harshly shining down. She casually turned to face Mike, who hadn't noticed she was awake yet. 

El stared at him for a moment, taking in all his perfect features. She still couldn't understand how a guy was this beautiful. Everything about him just made her want to turn to mush, but she couldn't. She shook the thoughts from her mind, annoyed with herself for already getting distracted by him. Mike eventually felt her eyes on him, and turned to face her, smiling wide. 

"Oh hey, you're up! Your sister brought us some eggos. You know I must admit, these things are pretty damn good." He held out the bag filled with the rest of them, waiting for her to gladly say "I told you so." 

El didn't respond though, she just snatched the bag from Mike.

"Wow, she was right. You aren't a morning person." He laughed, shaking his head. 

El began gathering up her stuff, shoving the eggos in her bag. 

"Where are you going?" He asked after noticing her getting her things together. 

"Inside? There's no reason for me to stay out here anymore if you're here, so i'm going inside." She tried to sound as harsh as possible, but didn't think Mike catching on, given the smile still on his face. 

"You don't wanna keep me company?" he joked again.

"Nope," she replied shortly, turning to go inside. 

"Seriously? We're back to this again?" He exhaustedly asked her. 

Mike liked El. It was that simple. He liked her, even though he just met her a few short days ago. She wasn't superficial, like most of the girls he knew. She somehow always managed to surprise him. She said what was on her mind and didn't give a fuck what anyone thought of her. She was also insanely beautiful. He could stare into those dark eyes of hers all day long and still not get tired of them. Better yet, he could just stare at  _her_ all dayand not get tired of it. 

For the past few days, he knew that he was probably getting on her nerves, but he refused to just give up. There was no way he was gonna pass up the chance to get to know her, even if it took some work to get that chance. 

They had a great time last night and he could tell she was enjoying his company, whether she would admit it or not. But he had hoped that after last night, she would stop being so cold toward him. From the beginning, he had a feeling that wasn't who she really was. Her smile alone gives off an insane amount of warmth, he knew there had to be more locked away in there somewhere. And luckily, he was proven right last night. 

Unfortunately, she was now back to being the cold girl he was first introduced to. But having seen more than a glimpse of the real El, he definitely wasn't going to retreat now. 

"Back to what?" El defensively spat at him. 

"Playing hard to get? Acting like you don't care enough to give me the time of day?"

El raised her chin defiantly, as Mike went on.  

"I like you, a lot okay? And I know you know that I do, because I've been making it very obvious. Can you please just drop this act because I'm not buying it?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." She snapped, sounding more nervous than confident. 

Mike sighed, looking at her like he knew she could give in any second.

"El, you read Tolstoy and you have slept out here for the past two nights to protect sea turtle eggs. And not to mention, your favorite food is a frozen toaster waffle. You really expect me to believe that thisis the real you? Cause I don't. This whole ice cube act isn't working on me."

Mike knew what she was doing. He knew she wasn't truly this cold of a person, she couldn't be. She was just acting this way to push him away. He knew and El just didn't have it in her to pretend. This would probably be a huge mistake, but what the hell. If it meant she'd get to enjoy her summer with a genuinely nice guy, then it would be worth it. 

"Okay, you're right. Let's try this again. Last night was fun." She gave in, shyly grinning at him. 

The seemingly ever-present smile on Mike's face could not have grown any bigger. He had somehow managed to get through to her and could not be more ecstatic about it. 

"Best first date ever," he exclaimed, reaching out to grab her hand. 

"That was not a date," El pointed out. 

"Well how about we make it one, as long as you don't mind accompanying me to the aquarium today?" 

El squeezed his hand, that was now holding hers. She nodded, a smile as big as his on her face. 

 

***

 

Mike had come back an hour later to pick up El, giving her plenty of time to shower and get ready. She really didn't wanna look disgusting on what was assumed to be their first date.

_Wow, I'm actually going out with a guy I just met? Who would've thought this would happen?_

She tried resisting, really she did. Usually guys give up by the second eye roll or snarky comment, but Mike wasn't giving up that easily, or at all. She had to give him some credit for that. He had managed to embed himself into her mind, in just a few short days and that was something no one had ever accomplished. 

 

El was now walking next to Mike, taking in everything around her. They passed by a few large tanks, filled with a variety of marine life. Everything looked so beautiful, even if she wasn't too fond of aquariums. She decided to let this one slide just for today, but any other day she'd be completely against this place. Besides, she had gotten in free, so it's not like she was contributing to their business by giving them her money. 

El stopped near one of the windows, noticing a bunch of jellyfish. 

"They just look so delicate, it's crazy to think that their stings are so painful." She said, watching them intently. 

Mike looked over at El, taking in her amazed expression. Her dark brown hair had almost dried, making it curlier than usual. A few strands had managed to fall over her face, which he hesitantly moved forward to push back behind her ear. 

Mike's gesture surprised El, but she kept her gaze locked on the jellyfish in front of her. 

"Yeah, those things sting me all the time when I'm swimming around in there." He finally said, making El giggle.

"Why would you swim in a tank with jellyfish? You're basically asking for them to sting you." 

"Usually, they don't bother anyone in the tanks. I guess they're just attracted to me. Do you blame them though? I do tend have that affect on most things I interact with." 

El couldn't help but continue to laugh at him, which made him laugh right along with her. 

"You're pretty confident in your looks huh?" 

"Well, I attracted someone as pretty as you, so yeah I guess I am." He said, winking at her. 

El grinned as she shook her head, not surprised by any of the words coming out of his mouth. 

"So Mike, what exactly are we doing here?" She was now standing directly in front of him, staring up at him. 

"I wanted you to see something!" He told her, as his eyes lit up. 

El looked around at everything surrounding them, not seeing anything special. 

"I've seen fish before you know? And I've been to plenty of aquariums, not lately though. I'm not too fond of the whole idea." Her face now had a look of disgust on it as she looked around. 

"No, I want to you show you something I think you'll like to see. And don't worry, we treat all our friends here as if they were royalty. No cruel treatment. I wouldn't be volunteering here if that were the case." 

"But that's not just the problem with aquariums, Mike." El was about to go on a very long rant about this topic and Mike could just see it coming. 

"Okay, well why don't you explain what the problem is later? I want to show you this now, since nobody else is here yet." He intended on completely hearing her out, but right now, he was set on showing her this. 

 

Mike didn't wait for her reply, he just took her hand and tugged her along with him, toward the back of the building. They made their way up a set of stairs, which took them outside to a deck.

He led her over to where a large tank was, looking out at the water, searching for something. 

"There! You see?" He used his free hand to point to a dark figure, gliding slowly through the water. His other hand was still holding on tightly to El's, her grip on his just as tight. 

"Is that a sea turtle?" She excitedly asked him. 

"It is, her name is Yurtle!" 

She looked up at him, a hint of amusement on her face.

"Yurtle the sea turtle? I don't even need to ask who named it that. I already know it was you." 

She gently nudged him, then focused back on the turtle. 

"Why's it in here and not the ocean?" 

"She was hit by a boat propellor. We rescued her about a month ago, she almost didn't make it." Mike hated this part of volunteering, but he also loved it. He hated seeing them hurt, but loved being able to hopefully help them heal. 

El watched the turtle struggle to swim properly through the water. A look of concern crossed her face.

"Is she gonna be okay?"  

"We don't know. Nobody can say for sure if she'll make it out there in the ocean." Mike sighed, wishing he could have given her a more uplifting answer. 

El tightened her grip on Mike's hand, then sighed. 

"I hope she can." 

El then noticed another tank nearby, walking straight over to it. Mike following right behind her, given the fact that they were still holding hands. 

"What's in here?" She wondered, trying to see what was swimming around in there. 

"Just fish, lots of fish. I usually swim around in this one a lot." He told her, watching a smile grow on her face. 

"Could you swim in it now?" She asked excitedly. 

"You want me to get in there right now? Why?" 

"I just wanna see, it seems like it would be so cool to swim in there with them. I'm sure I'm not allowed to, so if you're the only one of us who can..." Her voice trailed off, but Mike had already made up his mind. If she wanted him to swim, he would swim. 

"Oh please, you just wanna see me shirtless again." He said to her, making her roll her eyes. 

"Oh no, you caught me!" She jokingly yelled, as he pulled his shirt over his head. 

"You're gonna be disappointed though, because I have to wear a wetsuit. Sorry, I don't make the rules." He added, throwing his hands up, as she faked a pout. 

 

Mike had been swimming around for a good fifteen minutes and El was loving every second of it. She watched him from inside the building, so that she could see him under the water. He looked so graceful moving through the water. All the fish kept swarming him, which only made her even more envious that she couldn't join him. 

He gestured for her to come back upstairs, which she gladly did. She went over to where he was now floating at the top and sat near the edge so she could talk to him. 

"That looks amazing!" She told him, as she stuck the bottom half of her legs in the water. 

"It is! It's too bad you can't join me... Hey, would you mind helping me out?" He asked her, as he shook his wet hair. 

El reached a hand out for Mike to grab, which he did, but yanked her into the water with him.

He could get in major trouble for this, but it's not like he worked there. The most they could do is tell him he couldn't volunteer anymore. Finding another aquarium in this town wouldn't be too difficult of a task, so he wasn't that worried. 

El came up from the water with a gasp. Her clothes were now soaking wet, but she didn't really care. Mike acted as if it were an accident, but couldn't seem to stifle the grin on his face. 

"Mike Wheeler, I'm so gonna kill you!" She playfully screamed, jumping on an amused Mike to push him under the water. For the next few hours, they continued swimming and splashing around in the water, not a care in the world. 

 

***

 

Mike and El had just arrived at the beach, happy as can be. They enjoyed their time at the aquarium, surprisingly not getting caught swimming in the tank. El's clothes were still soaking wet, but Mike had found her a towel to wrap up with. 

Mike unfortunately had to practice for an upcoming volleyball match, so he invited El to come along. She of course accepted, not wanting to leave his side just yet, which is what led them here.

They bought some drinks from one of the food trucks and made their way over to where the match had been played days ago. 

El was holding Mike's hand tightly as he pulled her along with him. She couldn't stop herself from giggling, until they came to a stop. People she had assumed to be Mike's friends were all staring at them. Mike didn't seem to notice, as he waved over the guy she had usually seen him with. 

"Lucas, this is El. El, this is Lucas, my best friend." Lucas politely smiled at El, then waved.

"It's nice to meet you. Wait aren't you the girl Mike just about took out at our last game?"

"That would be me." She admitted, shrugging her shoulders. 

"Huh, interesting..." Lucas looked her up and down, then looked at Mike skeptically. 

El noticed the odd way he was looking at Mike, but pretended that she hadn't. 

 

Once Mike started practicing with Lucas, El sat down on the nearest set of bleachers. She had been so caught up in watching Mike play for the past few minutes, that she didn't notice a familiar blonde sit down next to her. 

"Hey, you're El right?" a girl's voice loudly asked from beside her. 

El jumped a bit, turning to her right, to see who had startled her. 

_Oh great._

"Yepp, that's me." El not so nicely replied, as she turned back to watch Mike. 

"I'm Stacey. I take it you're not from here? I mean, I would've known if you were. I'm one of Mike's oldest friends by the way." Stacey said, sounding rather impressed with herself.  

"Uh-huh." El muttered, trying not to pay her too much attention. She'd much rather watch Mike. After all, he was running around shirtless and it was giving her a great chance to check out his body, which was fantastic. 

"So you and Mike?" 

El sighed, as she turned to face the girl again. 

"Me and Mike what?" 

"You and Mike have something going on between the two of you. Well El, I hate to be the one to tell you this, but he is totally playing you." 

"What?" El asked, her full attention now on Stacey. 

Stacey looked her up and down, noticing her wet hair and clothes. 

"Let me guess? He took you to the aquarium? And pulled you in the water?" She asked, unimpressed. 

El blinked, looking a bit surprised.

"He does that with every girl. You think you're the first one he's accidentally spilled a milkshake on? No sweetie. It's always the same with him. Same dates, same stupid jokes. But it doesn't matter how many girls he takes out, he'll always come back to me." 

As Stacey went on, El stared at her in disbelief. She really didn't want to believe her, but everything Stacey was saying seemed to make sense in her head. All the things she had believed at first, but then decided couldn't be true, were now flashing like warning signs.

_Mike couldn't be that kind of person though. Could he?_

She had been wrong about everyone she met here so far, what's one more?

"I'm just warning you. Don't be surprised when he drops you in a few days. He tends to get bored easily and well, you don't look very entertaining... Well, bye El!" Stacey shot El a fake smile and ran off down the beach. 

El shook her head.

_Unbelievable._

She looked back to the court, where an oblivious Mike was enjoying the cheers from people, mostly girls, who were watching from the opposite side of the bleachers. 

El didn't know what to believe anymore.

What she did know, was that she didn't want to deal with any of this today. She left the beach without saying a word to Mike. She was angry with Stacey, with Mike, and herself especially, for being so damn stupid. 

 

Hours later, El was lying on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. Knocking at the front door, from who she assumed was Mike, brought her out of her thoughts. She hopped up off the bed, going straight to the front door and hastily opening it. 

"Hey, what happened? I looked all over the beach for you. Why'd you lea-" El slammed the door in Mike's face, not letting him finish talking. 

"Just go away Mike." She yelled from her side of the closed door. She went back into her room, slamming the door shut behind her. 

Jim heard all the noise from the kitchen, but had no clue what was going on. There was knocking at the front door again and he hesitantly went over to see who it was. 

Mike immediately starting talking again once the door opened, until he noticed it wasn't El. 

"Oh, hi." 

Jim gave Mike a questionable look, as he leaned on the doorframe. 

"May I ask what's going on here?" 

"I don't really know sir. El's mad at me, for reasons I am not aware of, and she slammed the door in my face before I could really ask why." Mike awkwardly smiled at him. He just knew that her dad probably wanted to kill him right now, but that was just a risk he would have to take. 

"Mhm, well. You're welcome to come in and wait for her, but I don't see her coming out of her room anytime soon so..."

"Can you just tell her that whatever I did, I'm sorry?" Mike desperately asked him, but then regretted it. "You know what, I'll just wait out here and tell her myself." 

Jim nodded, as he watched Mike head toward the beach. 

"El, everything okay?" He yelled through her bedroom door.

"Everything's peachy, dad. Guys are just stupid!" She yelled back, making him laugh. 

He had hoped that Mike hadn't done anything to hurt El, otherwise he'd be having a serious talk with this boy real soon. 

 

***

 

Sara and Jim were doing what they do best: observing with their trusty binoculars. They were currently watching a very troubled looking Mike, just sitting near the sea turtle's nest.

"He's still out there dad! How long do you think he'll stay?" Sara said, shocked that Mike still hadn't left. 

"Why don't you go ask him?" He nudged her a bit, making her laugh. 

"He's her boyfriend, not mine." She snorted, shaking her head. 

"He's not my boyfriend either." El yelled from inside the house.

"Do you think he's gonna stay out there all night?" Sara asked her dad, thinking that this Mike guy was crazy. 

"I don't know Sara, he might."

"I'll bet you a dollar he is." 

"Oh you're so on. But let's make it interesting and say five dollars. No way he's staying out there all night." Jim said, grabbing the binoculars to take another look at the boy.

"What if he never leaves? What if he sits there for so long and then just dies?" Sara yelled dramatically. 

"And then the raccoons eat his corpse," Jim added, making Sara gasp. 

"But he still doesn't leave, because that's how powerful his love for El is!" She yelled louder. 

El stormed out of the house, shaking her head at them, after having heard their whole conversation.

"You guys are ridiculous." 

El stalked toward Mike, hearing them continue on with their silly conversation.   
  
"No, I'd say the turtles would eat his corpse," her dad said to Sara, as they made their way back inside to give El some privacy.   
  
  
El had nearly reached the spot where Mike was sitting, when he finally noticed her. He was quickly on his feet and slowly walked toward her. 

"Mike, you need to leave. You're freaking my little sister out," El yelled at him. 

"Not until you tell me what I did wrong!" He desperately yelled back. 

"Stacey told me everything."

"What?" Mike asked, clearly very confused. 

"She told me about all the girls you date and about you two."

"What girls? I haven't dated anyone lately. And there is definitely no me and Stacey. We dated months ago and then I dumped her."

"That's not what she said. Did you purposely run into me that day at the beach? And then take me on a date you've taken multiple other girls on?" 

Mike was so frustrated that Stacey had gotten to El and put these thoughts in her head. 

"Oh my God, don't listen to anything she says, she's just jealous. She'd say anything to get what she wants. Besides, isn't this exactly what happened between you and Max? Troy lied and Max believed him? Don't you see that Stacey's just mad that I want to be with you and not her? Just like Troy was mad you turned him down."

El sighed, immediately wanting to smack herself in the face. 

_Shit, he's right and I'm an idiot._

"Well, why aren't you into her? She's perfect, probably a much better fit for you than me." El didn't want to admit that she was wrong just yet, so she changed the subject. 

"Well, I disagree." Mike confidently said back. 

"Come on, I saw the way your friends looked at me today. They know we don't make sense."

"I don't care what anyone else thinks." 

El was silent for a moment, then spoke up again. 

"Maybe it's best if we just end this." She said, immediately regretting it but her brain wasn't stopping her from making things any worse. 

"End what?" Mike asked, a shocked look taking over his face. 

"Whatever this is." El gestured back and forth between the two of them. "Come on, we both know this is just gonna end up being a stupid summer fling."

Mike couldn't believe her. They had barely even started and she was already trying to end it over something that wasn't even true. 

"Fine. I'll just leave you alone then, that's clearly what you want." Mike yelled, then stormed off down the beach.

El felt like the worst person ever. She should've known not to listen to a word out of Stacey's mouth. She also shouldn't have created some whole other problem, that wasn't even a big deal. She didn't care what Mike's friends thought of her, nor did she care about why Mike wasn't into Stacey. She instantly hated herself for screwing this up and ran to catch up with Mike.

 

"Mike, wait!" She yelled, once she had almost caught up to him.

"What? Come to accuse me of something else? Or are you gonna try to convince me to be with Stacey?" He yelled, not looking back at her. 

"No, I was wrong. I should've never listened to her." 

"No, you really shouldn't have." Mike stopped walking, then turned around to face her. 

"I'm sorry, okay? I overreacted." 

"Yeah, you did." Mike shot back. 

"I had a really good time today though, before all this happened." She smiled weakly at him, hoping he wouldn't be mad at her.  

"Okay." He said, blankly staring at her. 

"Okay? Seriously? That's it? That's all you're gonna say after I ju-"

Mike had heard enough. He closed the short distance between them, placing both hands on her cheeks, as he slightly bent down to kiss her. The second their lips met, El's mind went blank. 

Mike's lips were insanely soft. So soft that El couldn't help but lean up in an attempt to press her lips even harder to his. She felt as if her heart was going to plummet right out of her chest. This was so unexpected, yet she felt as if it was exactly what she wanted him to do. Mike slowly pulled away, but not even seconds later, he hurriedly kissed her again. Their lips continued to move simultaneously, neither of them feeling as if they had had enough of each other just yet. 

They eventually had to stop in order to catch their breath. El stared into Mike's eyes, not finding any words to speak. Mike softly ran his thumbs over her cheeks, admiring just how beautiful she was. 

"El, you're the only person that I want to be with okay? And this is not some summer fling... that's the last thing I want it to be." He breathlessly spoke, making El's heart beat even faster. 

El eagerly connected their lips once again, pulling Mike closer. She felt his hands wrap around her, tightening his grip. The next thing she knew, she was being lifted up off the ground, as he slowly twirled her around. El couldn't help but smile into the kiss, making Mike do the same as they broke apart. 

El leaned back a bit, lovingly staring up at Mike. Neither could manage to utter another word, both truly in awe of the one in standing in front of them. 

 

***

 

The entire walk home, El felt like she was floating. She had never been kissed like that before, ever. Sure, she had kissed a small number of guys throughout her life, but never felt like this. It was truly an indescribable feeling, that she never wanted to let go of. She decided right then that she only ever wanted to kiss Mike Wheeler for the rest of her life. No one else could even begin to measure up.  

She had a dreamy look on her face, as if she were in some kind of trance. She closed the front door and instantly leaned against it, completely unaware of the other two people in the room.

"What's wrong with you?" Sara asked, wondering why her sister was making such a weird face.

El snapped out of her trance, but couldn't find the words to explain what had just happened.

"I believe your sister just got kissed" Jim said, smirking.  

"Dad!!" El gasped, running over to where he was sitting on the couch. 

"Oh, you did?!" 

"Oooh," Sara yelled, wanting to embarrass her sister even more. 

"She did Sara, look she's blushing!" He pointed toward El, who was indeed blushing. 

"Dad! Stop it" El screamed as she plopped down on the couch next to him. 

"Let's write a song about El's new boyfriend!" He joked, making them all laugh. 

"No way!" A flustered El said, covering her face for a moment to keep from smiling like a crazy person. 

"Wow." Jim smiled at El, amazed just how much happier she looked.

"What?" She tilted her head, waiting for him to say something embarrassing. 

He said nothing, just kept smiling.

"Okay, I'm going to bed now." She quickly said, hopping up off the couch. 

"Goodnight, go dream about your new boyfriend Ellie-belly." 

"I hate you." She yelled back, laughing.

Jim couldn't wipe the smile from his face. Nothing made him feel greater than to see his daughter so happy. She deserved every bit of happiness and it looked like she was finally getting what she deserved. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is longer than the previous one, so once again I'm proud of myself for that! Next chapter will hopefully be out soon! I can't promise it will be as long as this one, but I'll do my best! 
> 
> Now on to more important things...
> 
> The season 3 trailer absolutely killed me. Everything about it looks so incredible and I'm loving the summer vibes. I'm so excited to see all of the party older and all the fun summer things they will be up to. I'm super pumped for Elmax even though I never thought I would be. Their friendship looks like it's gonna be so cute and I'm already living for it! And last but not least, all that mileven content???? My heart cannot take it and that's not even a fraction of what we'll actually get to see of them. The scene at the beginning had to be my favorite, when Dustin turns around screaming and El jumps over into Mike's arms, who also pulls her closer?! WHO ALLOWED THEM TO BE SO CUTE?? And the fact that they hold hands so much just makes my heart so happy. Also, that mileven kiss in El's bedroom? I cannot wait for that scene. July 4th will be the death of me folks. 
> 
> Okay, I'll shut up now. Hope you enjoyed the chapter <3


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I suck. I'm sorry this chapter took me a whole week to update. The only thing I can blame this time is life. Life sucks and it just keeps getting in the way of my writing. I'm gonna try to update again before the weekend is over, but no promises. I'm really not sure if I like this chapter or not, because each time I read it I have different feelings about it. I hope you guys enjoy it though!

El was in an incredible mood today, all thanks to the guy who's been consuming her thoughts since the second she got home last night. Well, he had obviously been on her mind prior to then, but things were much different now. She couldn't stop thinking of Mike and how excited she was to spend more and more of her time with him. They had made plans to hang out today after Mike got finished with work. The second she woke up, she was reminded of this and hasn't been able to contain her excitement about it since.

She woke up much earlier than usual, but didn't feel the need to complain about it. She ate her breakfast on the front porch, where she typically ate most of her meals. She just loved feeling the ocean breeze constantly blowing through her hair. The sounds of the waves crashing to shore made her feel so at ease and of course, the view wasn't too bad either. This was definitely one thing she now wished Manhattan could give her. While she did love the city, with its bright lights and endless sea of inhabitants, she quickly realized that this place gave her a feeling that she was beginning to love. 

After awhile, El had noticed the house had grown much too silent. She started to wonder where her dad and Sara had managed to run off to. The car was still parked in the driveway, so she knew they couldn't have gone too far.

Once she'd searched just about everywhere, she finally found the pair in what looked to be a shed outback. Both of them were leaned over a table, various tools lying all around them.

"So this is where you two snuck off to? I was starting to think you'd been kidnapped." El joked, as she walked further in the shed to see what they were up to. "What are you guys doing out here?" 

"We're making stained glass windows!" Sara exclaimed, showing off the one she was currently assembling.

"Stained glass windows? Huh... That sounds difficult. You guys couldn't find anything else to do for fun around here?" El asked them, causing them to both look at each other in a way that made El feel like she was missing something.

"It's not for fun El! Well, it is fun, but we're doing it to help! We've been working on them every day, which you would know if you were here." Sara told her, a hint of annoyance in her voice.

El examined the windows on the table, which clearly were a long way from being finished. She then looked to her dad for an explanation on what exactly they were doing this for.

"They're for the church in town that's being restored. I spend a lot of my time there, you know, doing piano related stuff, so I offered to do it." He informed her, as he continued his work.

"That's a lot of work though. Are you getting paid or something?" She asked him, wondering why he would sign up for something so time consuming.

"No, no pay. It's okay though. I kind of owed it to them." He shrugged.

El didn't really understand what he meant, but didn't feel like questioning it.

"You going to hang out with your boy toy today?" Sara playfully asked El, making kissy faces at her.

"Yes, actually I am hanging out with Mike today, when he gets off of work." El pulled her phone from the pocket of her jean shorts to check the time. "In exactly two hours."

Jim and Sara looked to each other and couldn't hold in their laughter.

"You're counting down the hours until you see him? Who are you and what have you done with my sister?" Sara said, through her laughter.

"Ha ha. Very funny. So what if I am?" El responded, not fazed by her sister's teasing.

"Leave your sister alone, Sara. She's in love." He teased, smiling up at El.

"I'm going back inside, since you two want to make fun of me. Would you rather me be bitchy? Cause I can go back to that if you'd like." She challenged, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Oh no. This behavior is fine, El. Please don't go back to the bitchy side." Jim said, as he jokingly pretended to beg her with his hands clasped together.

"That's what I thought. Now, I'm going inside to get ready. Try not to have too much fun out here making your windows!" El shouted, as she left the shed and went back to the house.

Jim and Sara were still very amused by El's new behavior, but they would gladly have this versus the El they had a few days ago. 

 

***

 

Mike and El were currently reclined on some beach chairs, basking in the hot summer sun. They had been at the beach for a few hours now, relaxing and talking about whatever nonsense crossed their minds. El was attempting to tan and Mike was lying next to her, trying not to stare at her. She was wearing a black bikini with matching black sunglasses perched on her nose. He had seen her wear black just about everyday, but somehow just now realized that it was definitely her color. He hadn't been able to look away from her for more than a good thirty seconds. While the ocean view in front of him was nice to look at, the girl lying next to him was far more beautiful.

Since Mike was the complete opposite of subtle, El knew he had been staring at her for the longest time. She acted as if she didn't notice, only this time she couldn't conceal the smile on her face. She immediately turned her head to face him, which snapped him out of his trance.

"Like what you see?" She asked him, smirking.

"Oh definitely." He replied, nodding his head.

"I can tell, you've been staring at me since we got here." She shook her head, as she turned to lay on her side to face him.

"Well it's your fault for being so damn pretty." Mike said, throwing his hands up.

"Hey, you're just as pretty, but I haven't had my eyes glued on you."

"Did you just call me pretty?" Mike looked at her funny, making her laugh. 

"I did, whatcha gonna do about it?" El asked, grinning at him.

Mike leaned toward her and gently cupped her cheek with his right hand.

He slowly leaned in, gently kissing the tip of her nose.

"You're so cute." He moved his lips up to place another kiss to her forehead.

"Yeah, I know." El said, shrugging her shoulders.

"Okay, enough tanning, let's go out to the water!" Mike suggested, as he enthusiastically hopped up out of his chair, holding out a hand for El to take.

She took it of course, clinging to him as they trudged through the sand. It was a short walk from their chairs to the water. As soon as they reached the ocean, the waves came rolling in toward them.

"AH, it's freezing!" El shrieked, moving back from the nearing waves.

"Don't be a wimp, come on!" Mike gestured for her to come back to him.

El hesitantly went back to him, grabbing his hand again.

Together, they walked further into the ocean, El tensing up at just how cold it was.

Mike pretended like he was going to push her in the water, making her scream like a little girl.

"Oh no, don't you dare!" She told him, instantly shaking her head.

He did it again, making her move further away from him.

"Mike!!" She yelled, looking at him distrustfully.

"Okay okay. I'll stop!" He surrendered, but not even a minute later, a devious smile grew on Mike's face. He quickly bent down and splashed a handful of water on her.

"Stop!!" She squealed, looking at him surprised, but slightly amused.

This time he bent down and swiftly scooped her up in his arms, making her scream again.

"Put me down!!" She yelled, giggling right in his ear as he spun her around, slowly getting into deeper water.

"Oh you want down? As you wish!" Mike yelled as he lowered them both in the water.

To say the water was freezing would be an understatement. Both of them made noises of discomfort as a majority of their bodies were now soaked. El tightly held on to Mike, as she continued her squealing. 

Very quickly, the water became unbearable for the both of them. Mike carried a shivering El back to the shallow part, regretting getting them both soaking wet.

"Okay, meanie! Put me down now!" She said, laughing.

Mike finally complied with her wishes and placed El back down. She looked at him with anger, but couldn't actually be mad at him.

"You are so annoying!" She smiled, lightly shoving him back.

"Oh, am I? Well does this annoy you?" Mike reached out, wrapping his arms around her waist to pull her closer. He caught her off guard as he roughly kissed her. It took her a moment for her brain to catch up, but once it did, she kissed him back just as passionately.

El pulled away to catch her breath, then yanked him back to her, their lips meeting once again. 

Despite the fact that there were many other people close by, El and Mike couldn't seem to stop kissing each other. Every time one would take a breath, the other would swoop back in and claim their lips again. It was as if they were addicted to one another and no amount of this drug could be enough for them.

A few of the other beach goers did notice the two of them, but didn't really seem to mind. They all just assumed that the two people seemingly attached at the mouth, were just a couple of young teens coming down with a case of summer love. And they had assumed right... 

 

*** 

 

El was currently wrapped in a towel, the breeze getting to be too torturous for her after being in that cold water.

She watched Mike as he dug around in the sand for seashells. He managed to find another, throwing it in the bucket with the rest he'd collected.

"You gonna build me a sand castle?" El joked, as Mike dumped the bucket of shells in front of their chairs.

"Nope, well I can if you want, but right now I need you to lie down." He told her, pointing down to the sand.

"Should I even ask why?"

"Just do it, please." He asked, then pouted when she still hadn't moved from her chair.

El did as told and laid down on the hot sand. She could already feel it getting all in her hair, but chose to ignore it.

Mike grabbed a handful of shells and began carefully placing them around the lower half of her body. Once he'd finished the lower half, he changed positions so he could do the top. El cheekily smiled up at him, as he now hovered over her.

He noticed her smiling at him, then leaned down to quickly peck her lips. He resumed placing the rest of the shells by her head, then kissed her a little harder this time. El brought her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss.

Mike eventually pulled away, looking at her disapprovingly.

"You're distracting me from my work young lady!"

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" She humorously apologized.

He added the last shell, then stood up to observe his work. Looking satisfied, he reached out a hand for El to take. She grabbed his hand, letting him pull her up from the ground.

El stood by Mike, looking at the seashell outline of her body in the sand. She nudged him with her elbow, then entwined their hands.

"Look at you being all cute and creative."

El leaned up to gently kiss his cheek, making him grin down at her.

"Yeah yeah... Come on, let's get out of here. I'm starving." He pulled El along with him as he went over to retrieve their things. El threw the towel, along with the rest of her things, in her bag, then placed it over her shoulder. She grabbed Mike's hand again and they blissfully ran off toward the parking lot.   
  
  


After driving around for a few minutes, they decided on a cute little diner in town to eat lunch at. Luckily, it wasn't too crowded, so they were seated right away.

They both read over their menus, deciding on what they were hungry for. El ended up ordering a salad, while Mike ordered a cheeseburger with fries. After the waitress had taken their order, El and Mike dove into another one of their random conversations. They seemed to do that often, but neither of them saw it as a bad thing. They could talk about anything with each other, whether it was something serious or not.

The waitress interrupted their current conversation about Sara, when she brought them their drinks. They thanked the older lady, then resumed talking, until they were interrupted once again.

"Hi, Mike!"

They both looked up to see a familiar blonde, leaning on the table, toward Mike.

"Oh, hey Stacey." Mike said shortly, not too happy with her after what all she had told El.

Stacey smiled down at Mike, clearly ignoring El's presence. 

"Have you met my girlfriend El?" Mike asked, a fake smile on face as he gestured toward the girl across from him. 

El nearly choked on her drink after hearing Mike call her his girlfriend. She quickly recovered, then gave Stacey a small wave. Stacey's smile was now long gone. Her face now full of shock. Realizing that she was putting all her emotions on show, she slapped a smile back on her face. Fake, of course. Lots of those fake smiles showing up around here lately.

"Yes, I've had the pleasure." She said bitterly. 

"Okay, cool. Well we're kind of on a date here, so if you don't mind..." Mike blankly looked at her, raising his eyebrows expectantly.

Stacey's mouth fell open a bit, the look of shock from before back on her face.

El bit her lip, trying not to laugh at the girl's reaction. Stacey stomped off, grabbing her sidekick friend El hadn't met, thankfully, and left the diner. 

"Your girlfriend huh?" It had a nice ring to it, it really did. 

Mike laughed nervously as words began to uncontrollably spill from his mouth. 

"Oh, I uh, I really just said that to piss her off, after all that shit she put in your head. Not that I wouldn't love for you to really be my girlfriend. I would love that. It's just, we've only known each other for a few days, so I figured it would be too soon? Unless it's not then-"

"Mike, stop talking." She said, interrupting his babbling. "You're right. We just met a few days ago and we're having a fun time getting to know each other. No need to rush anything, we have plenty of time. How about you ask me when you feel the time's right, okay?"

"I will definitely do that."

They stared into each others eyes for a moment, in that way that they seem to get so caught up in lately. Their smiles were identical, both feeling happy and content. 

The waitress returned with their food, which made their growling stomachs very happy. They dug into their plates, Mike practically inhaling his. 

"Oh my God, this cheeseburger is the best thing I've ever put in my mouth. Want a bite?" He held out his burger for her to take, but she shook her head. 

"No, I'm actually vegetarian."

"Oh shit. Is it okay if I eat this in front of you or..." Mike placed his burger back on the plate, moving it as far from El as possible. 

"No, it's fine, Mike." El found Mike's reaction quite humorous. He was moving his plate away from her, as if her just being near meat would kill her or something. 

"You know, I should've really seen that coming." He said, after thinking about it for a moment. 

"Why?" El took a bite of her salad, then looked to him as he explained. 

"Well, you're clearly an animal lover. I thought I was an animal lover, but after meeting you, I've realized that I am just an animal liker. You are on an entirely different level."

"Thanks?"

"It's definitely a compliment, so you're welcome. You know what? You've inspired me. I'm going to be vegetarian too."

El raised her eyebrows, surprised at his suggestion. He was currently still chowing down his burger, so she didn't think he was too serious about it. 

"But after I finish this burger... I'm sorry, I just can't let this masterpiece go to waste."

El rolled her eyes, as Mike took another bite. 

"Sure." She said, not convinced even the tiniest bit that he would be able to steer clear of eating meat.

"No, I'm serious. You'll see." 

He looked at her, as if to challenge her lack of belief in him, then took another big bite of his burger. They fell back into their conversation from before, the rest of the meal spent talking about anything and everything, with no interruptions. 

 

***

 

The remainder of their afternoon was filled with spontaneous ventures throughout their small town. They visited a couple of shops, where Mike bought El just about anything she showed interest in. Of course, she refused, but Mike absolutely insisted. He claimed it was to make up for the milkshake incident, but El had forgotten that even happened.

They spent a good two hours playing games at a run down arcade. It was Mike's idea, El being a bit reluctant at first given the appearance of the place. They ended up having a great time though, especially El, who had beaten Mike at air hockey four times in a row. He didn't take his losses too well. He kept going on about how she was distracting him, but that wasn't intentional. Every time she leaned down to hit the puck to him, her tank top would reveal more than it was supposed to and well, Mike just so happened to be right in front of her. She obviously didn't care if he looked, but when he did, the puck would fly right past him. Not her fault he couldn't focus. Nope, not at all.

When they left the arcade, the sun was just beginning to set. They hopped in Mike's truck and he drove them to El's house. She wasn't ready to go home just yet, so she drug a more than willing Mike out to walk on the beach with her.

"I had fun today." El told him, as she brought her gaze from the water, up to meet his dark eyes.

"Yeah? I did too." Mike said, smiling down at her.

El's smile faded away for a moment, then she looked away, before speaking again.

"I'm sorry, for being so bitchy toward you at first." 

"El, it's fine. I would've been the same way if some random jerk spilled a shake on me, refused to leave me alone and then proceeded to flirt with me every chance he could." 

"Yeah, well... I still feel bad. I was just so angry about my mom forcing me to come here that I took it out on just about everyone else. And that whole milkshake thing wasn't even a big deal, it's not like you did it on purpose... Wait, you didn't do it on purpose, did you?" She stopped walking, then looked at him, suspicion all over her face. 

"No, El. I did not do that on purpose." He chuckled at her, then a thought crossed his mind. "You know, it's hard to imagine you ever acting so cold, now that I've seen you like this."

"Like what?"

"All soft and adorable." Mike told her, as if it were the most obvious fact. He poked one of her cheeks, making her blush. 

"Shut up." She giggled, nudging him. 

"So you didn't care that I kept bothering you?"

"Oh no, that did annoy me, but not to the point where I wanted you to leave me alone. Not that you would have if I'd asked, you are one persistent fellow. I mean, you did sleep outside on the beach with me to protect some sea turtle eggs. That's dedication."

"And to think, if I had given up, we would both be pretty miserable right now."

"That's very true, I'm glad you didn't. I'm sure my dad and Sara are too. I've been a lot more... tolerable since I've been spending time with you."

"Wow, I already have this much of an affect on you? I'm THE man. Oh and speaking of those sea turtle eggs, I'm glad they finally got that cage up. I made sure they put it on their top priority list, just for you."

"Pour moi?" El asked him, enthusiastically. 

"Seulement le meilleur pour toi." He replied smoothly, slightly impressing El. 

"You speak French? Why am I not surprised?" 

"You can't tell me that didn't impress you." Mike told her, sounding very confident in himself. 

"Oh it did, for sure." She said, smiling reassuringly. 

Mike wrapped his arm around her shoulder, then gently kissed the top of her head. They continued on with their walk, enjoying the rest of their night together. 

 

*** 

 

Unfortunately, El had to say goodbye to Mike. Neither of them wanted to leave, but it was getting late. The sun was now gone and the night had taken over, meaning that their time together had no choice but to come to an end. They said their goodbyes, shared a few lingering kisses, then Mike got in his truck and drove away. El stood in the now empty driveway, smiling her to herself. Her day was perfect. The happiness she felt inside made her feel as if she could combust at any moment.

Eventually, El forced herself to move and happily made her way up the stairs. She quietly came inside the house, not wanting to wake anyone. Before making it to her bedroom, she saw a light shining through the kitchen and poked her head in the other room to find her dad sitting at his piano.

"Hey, dad. Sorry, I know it's late..." She quietly spoke, not wanting to sneak up on him. 

"Oh, hey. No, I wasn't waiting up on you, I didn't even notice the time. Did you have fun with Mike?" He turned to face her, looking exhausted, but curious on how her day went. 

"Yeah, we had a good day." El smiled to herself, thinking of her day with Mike.

"Good, I'm glad." He smiled at El, then turned back to resume whatever he was doing.

"What are you doing?" She asked him, walking closer to see what was on the paper he was so focused on.

Jim looked as if he didn't want to answer, knowing that anything piano related was a touchy subject when it came to El.

"I'm, uh, I'm working on a song."

El finally got a good look at the paper in front of him, realizing what it was.

"Oh, cool. How's it coming along?" She asked, genuinely interested in his progress.

"Good, good. It's halfway done!" He smiled proudly, making El do the same.

"Well, I'm sure it sounds great. I'm gonna head to bed, being out in that sun today wore me out. Night, dad." El gave him a quick, slightly awkward hug, then retreated to her room to get ready for bed.   
  
  


After changing and finally getting comfortable in her tiny bed, she shut the lamp off and closed her eyes. Not even a minute later, the sound of her phone vibrating caught her attention. She grabbed her phone from the table by her bed and checked to see who it was. Immediately after seeing his name pop up on her screen, she was grinning like an idiot.   
  


**Mike** : I know I said this already, but I had a really great time today... Can't wait for tomorrow!

 **Mike** : and the next day...

 **Mike** : and the next...

On the other side of town, Mike was also lying in bed, waiting for a reply from the girl who hadn't left his thoughts since he met her. If anyone saw just how overjoyed he was right now, they'd think he was pathetic. He didn't care one bit, though. The smile on face only grew wider as he read El's immediate response. 

 **El** : I had a great time too! See you tomorrow!

 **El** : and the next day...

 **El** : and the next...

 **El** : (;


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here I am again, like a week later, finally updating. Are we surprised? Nope, not at all. Next chapter will be out probably in a week, but who knows at this point. <3

Mike's POV

It had been two weeks since Mike met El. Two weeks since he had met this incredible girl who had set up camp in his mind and hasn't left since. The two had been spending as much of their time together as possible. Most of their days were spent at the beach or doing whatever random things they managed to get themselves into. Some days they didn't even have to really do anything, just as long as they were together.

Mike soon realized that his job and volunteering were taking away time that he could be spending with El, making him want to just abandon all his responsibilities. He couldn't help but feel that way. The more time he spent with her, the more he couldn't stand to be away from her. Being with her made him feel like he was in a constant state of bliss, like he was on top of the world and nothing could bring him down. 

Mike's parents were going to be gone for the day, so he invited El over to swim in his pool. It hadn't gotten much use in awhile, so he figured they could spend their day here, instead of going to the beach like usual. It would be a nice change, getting to have the water to themselves, instead of sharing it with a bunch of strangers. Plus, Mike got to be alone with El and he'd take that over a public beach any day.

Since this was the first time El had been to his house, she was completely in awe of just how massive it was. As soon as they'd arrived, he showed her around the place. She insisted he give her a more in-depth tour of his bedroom, instead of just a glance around like he did with the rest of the house.

He told her the back stories of some of the random things scattered throughout his room. He told her about all the time he spent as a child with his grandpa, which led to his love for marine biology. He shared memories captured in some of his photos, including the time in seventh grade when he skateboarded off the roof of his house and somehow only managed to get a broken leg. The picture showed a younger Mike, putting his cast covered leg on show for the world to see. El felt her heart grow warmer as she learned more about Mike and his life. She also now had plenty of stories to tease him with in the future.

After showing El enough to satisfy her curiosity, he made them a quick lunch and then led her outside, where they made themselves comfortable around the pool. 

Mike currently found himself lying next to El, as always, trying not to stare. He simply couldn't help it, she's just too pretty for him not to want to look at her all the time. He was lying on his side, a content smile never leaving his face as her watched her. She would look over at him every now and then, with a smug grin on her face, finding his gawking to be somewhat flattering.

"You know, at first I thought you'd be rich. Then I officially met you and thought, no way this guy is rich. Now that I know you are, in fact, loaded, I'm kinda surprised." El admitted, breaking their comfortable silence.

"What made you think I was rich?" Mike questioned, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"For starters, Stacey was all over you that day at the beach and I've been around plenty of rich girls like her to know that she wouldn't even look at you if you didn't have as much money as her. The way Troy talked about you also kinda added to my suspicions. It just made sense that a guy like him would hate someone because they have money."

"Well, what changed your mind? What made you think I wasn't rich?" He asked, curious to know what went on in that beautiful head of hers.

"Rich people are just so snobby and arrogant. You're like the exact opposite of that. You also said your dad owned a freaking break shop. How was I supposed to know you meant a whole chain of them, not just one?" El gave him a pointed look, pushing her sunglasses to the top of her head.

Mike chuckled, laying back on his chair.

"Yeah, well don't worry. Once you meet my family, your assumptions about the rich will be proven true. I'd actually rather you never meet them, but I know you will have to at some point." Mike did not want El meeting his family. They would probably scare her off. Hell, they made him want to run off a majority of the time he's in their presence.

"Ah, are they that bad?"

Mike snorted, thinking to himself just how bad his family is. She had no idea.

"My mom's probably the worst out of all of them. She's so judgmental and it pisses me off. My dad, he's not too bad, but he has his moments. And my sister, geez she's like a carbon copy of my mom. Right now especially. She's getting married next month, so she's basically bridezilla."

"Oh, she's getting married?" El asked excitedly.

"Yeah, to some asshole. Fucking Steve, I hate that guy. My parents love him though, mainly because his family are big whigs in their part of town." Mike rolled his eyes, another reason his family annoyed him. They only showed interest in someone's wealth or lack thereof, instead of the actual person.

"Well, my mom's a control freak and my dad basically abandoned me and my sister a few years ago, so my family isn't too much better." El sighed, in attempt to make Mike feel better.

"Is that why you didn't want to stay with him for the summer?"

They hadn't talked much about their families, most of their conversations focused on themselves or something completely random. Now that the topic was brought up, Mike figured he'd ask some things he'd been wondering about.

"Yeah, I've been pretty pissed at my dad since he left. It kinda messed up my whole life you know? One minute he was there and things were good, then he's gone and my life is completely different. I mean, he was gone for work a lot, but that's different than just being gone."

"How's it going with him so far?"

"At first, it was as expected. Then he did a few things to surprise me and now we're...okay. He's actually not so bad. It's been two weeks and we haven't killed each other, so I'd say it's going pretty well."

"That's good, maybe you coming here will change things between you two." Mike replied, thoughtfully. 

"Yeah, maybe." El sighed wistfully.

"What about Sara? How does she feel about all this?"

"She was too young to understand it all, so she's thrilled to be here."

Mike nodded, but chose not to pry anymore. He could tell this wasn't a fun topic for her, so he didn't want to make her uncomfortable with anymore questions.

"Hey, wanna see something?" Mike asked, in attempt to change the subject.

"Sure?" She eyed him skeptically, not knowing what was coming next. She watched Mike as he got up from his chair, going over toward the pool. He stealthily climbed up the side of the cabana. El watched, nervously as he made his way to the top.

"Prepare to witness the most epic flip ever!" He shouted.

"A flip? You climbed all the way up there and you're only gonna do one flip? I could do that." She teased.

"Okay, then come join me!" He shouted back at her.

"I would, but I don't wanna get all wet!" El shrugged her shoulders, then stood up from her chair. "I'll compromise and sit here on the edge while you swim though."

"El, we came here to swim! You have to actually get in the pool to do that!"

"Hey, part of me is in the pool, that's good enough." She reasoned with him, as he stared down at her wordlessly.

"Okay, okay. Can I do my flip now?"

"Go for it!" She yelled, sitting down on the edge of the pool. 

Mike looked down at the water and took in the short distance he was from it. He had done this plenty of times, so he wasn't too worried, even if one wrong move could lead to him landing straight on the concrete.

He took one big step, jumping off the roof. He tucked his legs up closer to his body, spun once in the air, then dove perfectly into the water. El was very impressed, not expecting him to do that so gracefully, until she remembered how he swam around that day at the aquarium. Mike was used to being in the water and it clearly showed.

He shoved his wet hair away from his face, hearing El start to clap. He swam over to where she sat, looking to her expectantly, for her thoughts on his performance.

"I'm impressed. I give it an 11 out of 10! Bravo!" She exclaimed, proudly.

Mike swam as close to her as he could, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Hey! You're getting me wet!!" She squealed, as goosebumps began to form on her skin, the majority of her lower back and stomach already dripping with water.

"Well, I want you to swim with me!" He whined. Without warning, Mike lifted her slightly off the edge. She tried to catch herself, but wasn't fast enough. She fell right into the water, shortly coming back up to the surface.

"Mike!! Why do you always do this to me?" She yelled, laughing as she ran a hand through her now soaking wet hair. She splashed water toward him, as he moved closer.

"Do what?" He asked, feigning innocence.

El glared at him, as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Mike placed his back around her waist, leaning in to softly kiss her.

That soft kiss became much more as their lips met over and over again. Mike felt El's hands go to his wet hair, slightly pulling at it. Their mouths continued to move in sync, as their tongues shortly followed in doing the same. The water around them setting off ripples throughout the pool, as each of their hands frantically searched for the perfect resting spot on their bodies.

They reluctantly pulled away, both thoroughly out of breath, with water dripping off their skin.

"See, aren't you glad you got in?" Mike quipped, with a shit eating grin on his face.

El contemplated her answer, then playfully shrugged. "I guess."

Mike mocked her response, then splashed a handful of water at her, making her back away quickly.

"Okay, my turn to do a trick!" She exclaimed, making her way out of the pool.

El scurried over to the diving board, stretched her arms out, then proceeded to do a cannonball. She could hear Mike's laughter before she even emerged from under the water.

"You make me look like an amateur!" He yelled, sarcastically, a false look of shame on his face.

"Oh shut up!" El retaliated, before swimming over to join Mike right where she left him.

 

***

 

Before Mike took El home, they stopped and got ice cream at a shack on the beach. They took their time walking back to Mike's truck, their free hands entwined, swinging between them. Both enjoying their ice cream cones, which were already melting due to the harsh summer heat. Mike brought his cone back up to his mouth, when El reached up and quickly shoved it right in his face.

Mike slowly wiped the ice cream off his face, looking at her stunned.

"That's what you get for always pulling me in the water!" El giggled, then quickly ran off down the sidewalk.

"You're gonna pay for that!" He yelled back, throwing his ruined cone in a trashcan nearby. He took off running after her, though she was already quite a bit ahead of him by now. He watched her turn a corner, which he eventually reached, stopping in his tracks as soon as he saw what was on the other side.

It was Troy, tightly holding onto El's arms. El looked annoyed, struggling to get out of his grip and not dropping her ice cream on the ground.

"What a nice surprise!" Troy sarcastically remarked, as Mike got closer to them. He instinctively moved forward, shoving Troy away from El.

"Don't touch her again." Mike said defensively.

"Hey, she ran into me!" Troy said, a look of realization crossing his face. "Wait, you two?" He gestured between the two of them, a look of shock on his face.

"That I did not see coming." Troy looked to an angry El. "This guy? Really? You won't fuck me, but you'll fuck this guy?"

As if Mike wasn't furious enough... He was about to give in to his urges and beat the shit out of him, but El reacted first. She reached her free hand up, smacking Troy in the face. He immediately launched at her, but Mike stepped in between them, roughly shoving Troy back.

"I said don't touch her!" Mike growled. "Get out of here Troy, now."

Troy held Mike's harsh gaze for a moment, then backed down.

"Hey, how's Lucas? You two been playing around with anymore fire lately?" Troy asked, smirking, as he backed away, eventually disappearing from their view.

El looked to Mike, confused. He stood there frozen, which only added to El's confusion.

"What's he talking about?" She asked, her focus solely now on Mike.

"Nothing, he's just being an ass. Are you okay?" Mike's hands went to her waist, pulling her to him.

"I'm fine." El sighed. "He's just disgusting. All he did was touch my arms and I feel like I need to disinfect my whole body." She cringed at the thought of him.

"Come on, let's go before he comes back and I have to kick his ass."

El couldn't help but laugh, leaning into Mike's side as he put his arm around her.

"What? You don't think I will? I know I may not look like much of fighter, but I would kick anyone's ass if it had anything to do with you." He pulled her closer, placing a quick kiss on her forehead.

"Okay, killer. Let's go!" She laughed, shaking her head. 

"Not that you'd need my protection, you did just smack the shit out of him! I'm so proud."

El tightened her arm around Mike's waist as she appreciatively grinned up at him. They continued their walk back to the truck, sharing what was left of El's ice cream cone. 

 

Not too long after, Mike drove El home, kissing her goodbye quite a few times. As soon as he pulled out of her driveway, their previous run in with Troy flashed in his mind. He couldn't believe Troy had brought the fire up, well actually he could believe it. Troy was a dick like that. He was surprised, though, that Troy didn't spill the whole secret to El right then. He had the perfect opportunity to wreck what Mike had with El, but didn't.

_He must not have put the pieces together... yet._

Mike was a nervous wreck for the rest of the night, just thinking about what could happen if Troy didn't keep his mouth shut. The last thing he needed was for El to know about that fire. 

 

***

 

El's POV

The sudden sound of El's phone ringing caused her face to light up, knowing exactly who it was on the other end. She snatched it up off the table, answering the call right away.

"Hey, where are you?" El asked, positioning the phone between her chin and her shoulder, so she could lace up her other shoe.

"El, I'm so sorry. I'm not gonna be able to hang out today." Mike sighed into the phone.

"Oh...Why?" She asked, disappointed. Like always, she had been looking forward to spending the day with Mike since the second she woke up this morning. It was like that every day. No matter how much time she spent with him the day before, it was never enough.

Mike made a noise of annoyance. El knew he was most likely rolling his eyes right along with it.

"Mom's making me go with them to do wedding stuff. You know, cake tasting and all that shit. She just barged in my room a few minutes ago and told me I had to come along. She didn't even think to tell me ahead of time. I tried to get out of it though, I really did. She's just not gonna budge today."

"It's okay Mike, really. No big deal." She assured him, completely understanding. "We can just do something tomorrow?"

"I have volunteer hours all morning, then I have to go into work... We could hang out after, but it might be pretty late when-"

"No, Mike you'll be exhausted." El interrupted, not wanting him to tire himself out. "What about Saturday?"

"I'm free then, as far as I know."

"Okay! Then Saturday it is! Surely we can survive two days without each other." El joking, smiling to herself.

"Oh, I don't know about that..." Mike doubted.

"Besides, it'll give me time to hangout with Sara and my dad. They've been nonstop bugging me to go bowling with them."

"Well, I'd much rather hang out with your family than my own... Shit, my mom's calling for me. I gotta go." He told her, his voice full of disappointment.

"Good luck, call if you can later okay?"

"I will, bye!"

El ended the call, then walked out onto the porch where her companions for the day were sitting.

"I'm now free of all plans for the day, so I'm all yours." She sighed, knowing that the rest of her day would be out of her control.

Sara and Jim excitedly cheered and high-fived each other, making El laugh in disbelief. The odd things these two do never cease to surprise her.

"Yes! Bowling time!" Sara yelled, jumping up from the chair to tackle El with a big hug.

 

***

 

"Another strike?? There's no way you're this good at bowling El!" Sara whined, throwing her hands up from her seat at the table.

"Clearly I am!" El bragged, making Sara even more unhappy. She stubbornly declined El's high five, instead glaring with those bright blue eyes of hers.

El picked up her dad's bowling ball, handing it to him, so he could take his turn.

"Dad, you sure you don't want a heavier ball? This is like one size above Sara's. You may be old, but I know you're stronger than this!" She teased, tossing the ball up like it was nothing.

"No, sadly I'm not as strong as I once was Ellie. This is just about all I can handle." He took the ball from her, a shameless look on his face.

El laughed, then sat down at their table. She took another slice of pizza from the tray, eating it while she watched. Jim took his turn, then rejoined El as Sara determinedly focused on getting a strike this time.

They continued their game, each having a go at knocking down the pins. El was still beating the both of them, surprisingly. It's not like she bowled often, so she didn't know how she managed to keep getting strikes. Beginner's luck maybe?

 

Just as El was getting up to take another turn, the woman from the front desk approached their table.

"Um, excuse me, sir. I've been told to inform you to leave." She said, the rude tone of her voice blatantly obvious.

"What?" El questioned, not understanding why they were being told to leave.

"Owner's demands, you need to leave the premises or I'll be forced to call the police." She spat back.

"No! You can't just kick us out! We didn't even do anything!" El yelled, attracting attention from most of the people around them.

"El, it's okay." He assured her, with an odd look on his face.

"We'll go." He calmly told the woman, grabbing his things off the table and pulling an unhappy Sara along with him. El was hesitant, wanting to yell at the woman until she gave her some answers, but decided against it. She gave the woman one of her dirtiest looks before exiting the building. 

 

"Okay, dad what the hell was that??" El asked, as she hopped up in the car, slamming the door shut.

Jim sighed, as he started the car. "Some people in this town aren't very fond of me."

"Wait you're saying other people treat you this way too?" El was practically screaming right now, but her anger was only growing stronger by the second.

"Yes but it's okay, really." He tried assuring her, but it was no use.

"Dad, no it's not okay! What did you-"

"El, just drop it, it's not important and we're upsetting Sara more than she already is. Let's just go somewhere else and not let this ruin our day okay?" He desperately looked to her, wanting nothing more than to forget about this conversation. He didn't want her getting all worked up over this.

"Yeah. Yeah okay..." El sighed, sympathetically looking at her dad for a moment, then turning to rest her head on the window.

They ended up going to the movies and seeing Godzilla, Sara's pick. Despite what happened at the bowling alley, the three of them had a great time. El actually enjoyed spending the day with them.

That night, her mind was stuck on what was happening to her dad. People actually treated him this way on more than one occasion, kicking him out of places for no plausible reason and no telling what else. She knew that her previous behavior toward him wasn't any better, but at least she had a reason. These people seemed to be so harsh toward him, for no reason at all. She had to figure out why this was happening, why these people weren't so, as her dad called it, "fond of him."

_What could he have possibly done for people to dislike him that much?_

 

***

 

El was woken up due to the loud sound of whatever was playing on the TV. Once she had fully gained consciousness, she grabbed her phone off the table, surprised to find that it was almost noon. She had slept in for the first all summer, since she'd gotten here. It felt refreshing and it's not like she had anywhere to be today, so it was the perfect day for it.

After finally forcing her body to move out of bed, she sluggishly walked into the living room. Sara was lying on the couch upside down, with her head dangling off the front of it. She was eating a pop-tart, the crumbs falling all over her neck. El really didn't want to ask. She knew whatever her reason was, it probably didn't make any sense. Her sister was always doing something completely off the wall.

"Sara, what are you doing?" She finally asked, sitting down next to her.

"Watching TV. Upside down." She said, her attention never straying from the cartoon playing on the screen.

"Why?"

"No reason." Sara replied, taking another bite out of her pop-tart. El glanced toward the kitchen, not seeing or hearing anyone else.

"Where's dad?"

"At church."

"Church? It's Friday." She questioned, looking at Sara doubtfully. 

"He's getting more supplies for our windows. You know, at the church that caught on fire where they're doing all that work?" 

"Oh, okay." She sighed, once again wondering why her dad had gotten himself into all that. 

"You slept in late. I thought you were like dead or something." Sara said, sitting up normally on the couch, dusting off all the crumbs.

"Mike couldn't hang out today, so no reason to get up early." El shrugged, absently watching what she realized was The Fairly OddParents.

"So you're not gonna be busy all day?!" Sara squealed, El already knowing where this conversation was going.

"I'm probably gonna regret this... but no I'm not." 

El spent the majority of her day with Sara, complying with whatever the tiny 9 year old wished to do. They first went to the beach, Sara insisting they make sand castles fit for a queen. El did the best she could, but they just kept falling apart. Sara was for the most part satisfied, so that was all that mattered. El took some pictures on her phone of Sara lying with their creation. She would have to remember to send those to her mom later.

Eventually, Sara got to complaining about the heat, so El took her to the ice cream shack she had been to with Mike. She knew that would shut her up.

"You enjoying that ice cream?" El asked, noticing it dripping down her chin and all over her fingers, as they walked home. 

Sara hummed in delight, taking another lick of her strawberry ice cream.

"Good." El laughed, playfully patting the top of her head. 

The rest of their day consisted of playing a variety of different board games and a rather intense game of Uno with their dad. El even helped Jim make dinner, vegetarian style, of course. Ever since he had found out about her distaste for meat, he made sure to not cook any more of it, only making things she would be able to eat. This gesture surprised El, making her feel more appreciative toward her dad. Sara was not happy about having to eat this way, but she quickly got over it. All was peaceful in the Hopper household and the three of them couldn't be more grateful for it. It sure made things much more enjoyable.

 

***

 

Mike's POV

Mike was currently putting in a new battery on a car at work, when Lucas walked over. He roughly patted Mike on the shoulder, happy to see his best friend after a few days.

"Hey Mikey, haven't seen you around much these past few days." He said, leaning against the car. Mike got out from under the hood, wiping his dirty hands on his pants.

"Yeah, I've been busy."

"Well, a couple of us are going down to the beach tomorrow to play some volleyball. You in?"

"No, I can't hang out tomorrow man, I have plans." Mike sighed, knowing Lucas wouldn't be too happy about it. Every time he's asked Mike to do something, he'd already made plans with El, so he couldn't go.

"Let me guess? With milkshake girl." Lucas said, rolling his eyes and already turning to walk off. He didn't like that this new girl was occupying all of Mike's time lately.

"Her name's El and yes I have plans with her."

"Oh, my bad, El. Dude, what is it with you and this girl? Is she like a good fuck or something?"

Mike's eyes widened, immediately furious at him for saying something like that about her.

"Okay, what the hell is your problem?" Mike snapped at him.

"You've been spending all your time with this chick lately, that's my problem." Lucas stormed off, slamming the back door of the shop closed.

It had been a long day and this just made it feel even longer. Thankfully, the shop was about to close and Mike could get out of this place. He didn't want to listen to Lucas's bitching, nor did he have to.

Mike left the shop, driving well over the speed limit to get to El's. He knew it was kinda late, but he didn't care. He just had to see her.

 

***

 

El heard a loud tapping on her window. At first, she ignored it, thinking it was the wind. The tapping only got more excessive though, causing her to slightly lean up in her bed to see what it was. It didn't look like anything was there, but she hesitantly got up to go take a look anyways. She looked out her window to see a giddy Mike standing there. He gestured for her to come outside, which she eagerly did. 

"What are you doing here?" She asked once she'd snuck outside, surprised to see him, but not even the slightest bit disappointed.

El immediately wrapped her arms around his waist, tightly clinging to him. Mike held her in his arms for a moment, appreciating the feeling of having her back in them again, then managed to speak.

"I was gonna go crazy if i didn't see you, it has been like a whole 2 days you know? I don't know how I survived it. I also wanted to give you this!"

Mike reached in his pocket and held out a silver necklace, with a small, pale green sea turtle on it. He had noticed it this morning at the aquarium in the gift shop and immediately thought of El. She leaned away from him to admire how pretty the simple piece of jewelry was.

"Mike! I love it!" She smiled, taking the necklace in her hand to place it around her neck, where it would probably stay from now on.

"And this." Mike spoke, quickly kissing the lips that he'd missed the taste of so much, completely catching El off guard.

"Well thank you." She breathlessly said, lovingly staring up at him. "I love both of my gifts, very much."

"Oh and I have one more thing." Mike spoke nervously as something crossed his mind. His gaze dropped, before bringing his eyes back up to meet El's.

El looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to go on. Mike faintly smiled, as he brought his hands up, gently placing them on her slightly flushed cheeks.

"Will you be my girlfriend?" He asked, snatching El's breath away. She wasn't expecting that to be the next thing that came out of his mouth. Her astounded expression morphed into a delighted one, as she leaned up on her tip toes, eagerly attacking Mike's mouth with her own. His laughter broke their kissing apart, as El rested her forehead against his chin.

"Is that a yes?" He asked, his voice full of hope, even though he already knew what her answer would be.

El nodded frantically, the brightest smile on her face.

"Yes, of course." 

 

Shortly after El said goodnight to her boyfriend, which she still couldn't wrap her head around, she snuck back in the house. She was careful shutting her bedroom door, in attempt to not to wake Sara. That was useless, because Sara was already wide awake.

"You two are adorable." Sara teased, scaring the shit out of El.

"Sara!! Were you eavesdropping!?" She scolded her, a look of displeasure on her face.

"You were standing right outside our window, I had no choice but to listen to you two." She argued, then looked at El humorously. "You are so in love with Mike."

"Don't be ridiculous Sara." El scoffed, as she got back in her bed, pulling the covers over her body.

"He just asked you to be his girlfriend!" She stated, her eyes wide and full of excitement.

"Being his girlfriend is a little different from being in love with him. Besides, I've known him for like two weeks."

"So? You can still be in love with him. Doesn't matter if it's two weeks, two months or two years. Haven't you seen like any Disney princess movie?" She said, matter-of-factly.

"Yeah, but I'm not a princess." El stated.

"I'm not sure Mike would agree with you on that one." Sara sang, with a grin on her face. El rolled her eyes at her sister's childishness.

She laid awake, staring up at the ceiling, for what felt like hours, with Sara's words echoing all throughout her mind.

 

_I can't be in love with him._

_I've only known him for such a short period of time._

_It's not possible._

_Right?_


	11. Chapter 11

"Where are we going El? I'm tired of walking." Sara not so quietly complained, as she held on tightly to El's hand, which was practically dragging her down the sidewalk.

"We're almost there." El replied hastily, annoyed with how many times Sara had voiced her discomfort. It's not like they had to walk that far. She was just being a pain in the ass and El was already over it. She should've just left her at home by herself.

"Ugh, but my feet hurt!!" Sara whined, her voice growing louder each time she spoke. Thankfully, El spotted Mike up ahead, meaning they had reached their destination and Sara would finally shut up. El happily made her way to where Mike was waiting, eventually catching his eye.

"Hello, gorgeous!" Mike greeted her with smile on his face, a smile that soon morphed into confusion. "And Sara?" He questioned, after noticing the girl at El's side.

"Why is Mike here?" Sara asked, craning her neck to examine the tall boy her sister seemed to always be talking about lately.

El sighed as she looked down at her annoying little sister, "Look, I had plans with Mike today. Just because I got stuck watching you, doesn't mean I was gonna cancel." El apologetically looked back to Mike, "Sorry, had to bring this one along with me. Dad was busy at the church, so I'm stuck babysitting for the day..."

Mike took her hand in his, giving it a light squeeze of assurance.

"That's okay! No big deal." Mike bent down to Sara's level, playfully patting her head, like he had done that day on the beach. "We'll have even more fun now that you're here, won't we?"

"Why do you pet my head like I'm a dog or something?" Sara asked, looking at Mike as if he were crazy.

"Yeah, I don't know why I do that." He said, feeling like a weirdo. "I'll stop, it's kinda weird isn't it?"

"Yeah it is, but it's cute when you do it." She admitted, smiling up at him, a slight blush creeping onto her cheeks. Mike laughed at her comment, then looked to El in amusement.

"Hey! Get your own boyfriend missy!" El joked, tugging Mike to her. He quickly pecked her lips, over and over again, eventually making Sara groan.

"Can you please not do that in front of me ever again? It's weird." She spoke, not really wanting to have a front row seat to their make out session. Mike pulled away from El, sparing Sara from any more of their PDA. 

"So what do you Hopper ladies wanna do today?" He asked them, throwing his plans for the day out the window. They wouldn't particularly go well with a nine year old tagging along.

"Can we go to the aquarium?? PLEASE Mike??" Sara begged.

Mike looked to El for her input, which there really wasn't a need for. After the day they went to the aquarium together, she filled him in on all of her valid reasons for going against aquariums. He knew she wouldn't be up for it.

"I'll get you both in for free?" Mike offered, knowing how much the tiny blonde, currently tugging on his arm, wanted to go. El, not so much, but he figured he could convince her if needed.

"Fine, but only if you show us Yurtle!" She gave in, her compromise sounding hopeful.

"Well, I actually can't do that..." He sighed. 

"Oh no? What happened?" She asked, slightly worried that the sea turtle hadn't made it.

"Yurtle is no longer with us. And by that I mean, she's living out the rest of her life where she belongs: in the ocean." He happily informed her, matching smiles now on both of their faces.

"Really? Oh, that's so great Mike!" El exclaimed, thrilled that the turtle was okay.

"Uh what are you guys talking about?" Sara chimed in, interrupting their moment of excitement. 

"Nothing, let's go to the aquarium!" El shouted, with obvious fake enthusiasm, as she now tugged both Mike and Sara down the sidewalk. 

 

Once they had arrived at the aquarium, Mike took them around to all the different tanks and exhibits. Sara bombarded him with questions at each one, and he managed to answer every single one, thanks to all the volunteering he had been doing. El listened intently to every word he said, amazed at how incredibly smart he was. It only made her find him more attractive, if that were even possible. She felt she could just listen to him explain the details of marine life all day long and still not want him to shut up.

El had also found Mike's behavior around Sara to be beyond adorable. He treated her as if she were his own sister and El couldn't help but warmly smile at the sight. Pair that with the impressive intelligence he had exhibited throughout the day and El might just be in love...  


 

"Your daughter is adorable!" A kind voice spoke from beside them at the shark tank. All three of their heads turned to the short, dark haired woman.

"What?" El asked, not sure if she had heard her right.

"Your daughter?" The woman said, pointing toward Sara. El realized she had, in fact, assumed Sara was her daughter. This has happened before and every time El couldn't help but question the person's eye sight. Sara and El look nothing alike, how could she be her daughter?

"Oh, she's-" El had attempted to correct the woman, but was cut off when Sara shoved her out of the way, to speak to the kind stranger.

"Why thank you ma'am, you're so kind. My mom and dad are just so in love. Look at them! Don't they make a great couple? I just love them so much!" Sara dramatically gushed, taking her place between the couple, hugging them up like they were actually her parents.

"They do make a great couple and a cute kid too!" The woman said, smiling at them.

Mike and El glanced at each other, finding the conversation between the two to be very entertaining, then smiled proudly at the woman, deciding to just play along.

"Well, have a nice rest of the day!" She politely told them, before walking away. 

Sara's laughter was contagious amongst the three of them as they watched the woman disappear. 

"Apparently we got married and had a kid?" Mike said, wrapping his arm around El's shoulder.

"Can't believe I missed that!" El gasped, leaning into his chest.

"Alright, let's get out of here Wheelers!" Mike announced, as the three made their way toward the exit. Mike drove them home, torturing the poor girls with his singing. Sara looked beyond terrified, which made the drive back much more enjoyable for El.

 

 

"Oh seriously? Again? Get a room!" Sara groaned after finally get out of Mike's truck, to find her favorite couple attached at the mouth.

"Hey, don't talk to your parents like that young lady!" Mike pulled away from El long enough to spout at her, before going back in for more.

"I'll be inside in a minute okay?" El eventually told her, her eyes practically screaming at Sara to go in the house already.

"Yeah yeah." Sara waved her off, knowing that despite her sister's words, she would not be inside in a minute. She said goodbye to Mike as she let the door slam shut behind her, El sighing in relief that she was finally alone with Mike. 

"Sorry we didn't get to spend the day like we wanted." She whined, disappointed that Sara had crashed their party, even if they did still have a fun day together. 

"It's cool, I did have something pretty awesome planned though..."

"Oh, what was it?" She asked, her interest piqued.

"Nope, can't tell you. I gotta save it for another day now." He teased. "You'll see, eventually."

El eyed him for a moment, before looking affectionately at him. 

Mike pulled El close again, first kissing her lips, then her cheek, and then down her neck. El felt like her skin was on fire, as if she had been lying out in the hot sun for hours. He kissed her lips again, only igniting that fire even more. El's hands tightly gripped the front of Mike's t-shirt, while his were already buried in her hair. He continued to kiss her slowly, but ever so passionately, as he backed her up against the side of the house. Mike could feel her arms now moving over his back and shoulders. Her touch was electric against his skin, as their frantic, hot breathing mixed together. They felt themselves slipping away into a whole other world, a world where the two of them were the only souls to exist.

El placed her hands back on Mike's chest, only to slightly push him away.

"Okay," she breathed, "we've got to stop."

"Why?" Mike panted, attempting to kiss her again, but was pushed away.

"My dad is here. For all we know, he could be watching us through the window right now!" El shrieked, straightening her shirt.

"We were just kissing, El."  He reasoned, but the look on his face contradicting his words.

"Mike! We were not just kissing and you know it. That was getting... intense. Too intense for us to just be out in the open like this."

"Oh, so you wanna go somewhere more private?" He smirked, bringing her body against his. El contemplated the suggestion, but shook the thoughts already popping up in her head, away.

"No. No, then we wouldn't be able to control ourselves."

"And what would be wrong with that?"

El's expression told him to stop messing around, even if they both knew it wasn't a joke. The smug grin on his face dropped. "I'll try to control myself from now on." He sighed. 

El shook her head, then leaned closer, until her mouth was hovering near his ear.

"Maybe just when my dad's around... If we're alone, then..." She whispered, then pulled away, shooting him a wink as she quickly ran to the door.

"Bye, boyfriend!" She yelled, closing the door behind her.

Mike's gaze remained where El previously stood, in awe. El Hopper was really something else and he had somehow managed to win her over. That fact still made him question whether he was living in some kind of dream that he'd one day wake up from. If that were the case, then he hoped to never wake up. 

He felt his feelings for her grow stronger every single day and he was beginning to wonder what the hell he was going to do about that. 

 

Meanwhile, the entirety of El's evening was spent in the same predicament. She couldn't seem to shake the only thought in her head. The thought that she was seriously staring to doubt what she told Sara awhile ago about not being in love with Mike. Since that conversation with her nosey little sister, El had still been spending most of her time with Mike. No surprise there. Of course, they couldn't spend every single day together, but they could survive time apart. They weren't obsessed with each other or anything. Besides, being apart just made them even happier when they were together, which brings us back to El's conversation with Sara, who had claimed that El was in love with Mike. She had denied it at the time, but she wasn't so sure anymore.

From the moment she met Mike, El had always felt this glimmer of a feeling inside. She wasn't aware of it, until she spent more time with him. That feeling became more and more prevalent, until it became something she simply just couldn't ignore.

He was truly the most amazing person she had ever met. He was kind, loving, incredibly smart, and too gorgeous for his own good. He treated her with respect and would do just about anything she asked of him. He was also really good with her sister and somehow already managed to win her dad over. He was truly perfect in every way and she still couldn't believe that she gets to be with someone like him. 

She loves to hear him talk, especially when it's something he's passionate about. She could listen to that beautiful voice of his forever. She loves the way he looks at her, like she's the only other person to exist, like he doesn't want to look away because he might miss just a mere second of her simply existing. She loves the way he kisses her, with the perfect combination of passion and tenderness. It feels as if he puts all of his feelings for her into each one, wanting her to feel how much he cares for her, just through the connection of their lips. She loves that he's nothing like the rest of his family, how he has a genuinely good soul and treats others with kindness. She could write a whole book series about all the things she loves about Mike, but it would simply be easier to say that she just loves him.

She loves him, she's in love with him. 

Who cares if she's only known him for almost a month? She was so in love with Mike Wheeler and she had no clue what to do about it.

 

***

 

El's suddenly intense feelings for Mike were still hanging around in her head the next day. She had the urge to tell him about said feelings the second he picked her up this morning. Thankfully though, her brain had chimed in, letting her know that it probably wouldn't be the best idea to just blurt out how she felt. She didn't even know if Mike felt the same way. If he didn't, then she'd totally freak him out. She kept telling herself that it was surely too soon for the "L word." She decided to just keep those thoughts to herself for now. She'd know when the time was right, hopefully.   


"Oh, turn it up! I love this song!" El randomly spoke up from her spot in Mike's passenger seat. Mike did as told, turning the familiar song up.

El began to sing along, louder and louder. Mike kept glancing between her and the road, as she sang, amazed at how wonderful her voice sounded. 

 

_"I don't mind spendin' everyday_

_Out on your corner in the pourin' rain_

_Look for the girl with the broken smile_

_Ask her if she wants to stay awhile_

_And she will be loved, and she will be loved_

_Tap on my window, knock on my door, I-"_

 

"Wow, you can really sing." Mike interrupted. "Is there anything else I don't know about you?" He asked, impressed by this new talent of hers he'd discovered.

El shyly smiled, then leaned over to him, softly pecking his cheek to show her thanks.

"Let's do the next part together, ready?" He urged, making El wonder if he could sing too. Unfortunately for her, he could not.

 _"It doesn't matter anymore"_ Mike attempted to sing, but sounded more like a dying cat.

"No, my ears!" El shrieked, unable to contain her laughter at his horrible singing. 

 

_"My heart is full, and my door's always open_

_You can come anytime you want yeah"_

 

"Stop, I'm begging you!" She yelled, covering her ears with her hands.

Just as Mike was about to belt out the next lyric, the truck's movements slowed down, until they were at a complete halt. Mike pressed the gas down, only to hear the sounds of the transmission overworking itself.

"See look! Even your truck couldn't handle your singing!" She teased. 

He continued to press harshly on the gas pedal, but was having no luck.

"Shit, I think we're stuck." He sighed, swinging open his door to get out and see what he could do to get them out of this situation.  
  


Mike really thought he could get them out, given his experience with working on automobiles, but it didn't seem to be working out too well. Twenty minutes had passed and they were still stuck in the same exact spot.

"Okay, give it a little more gas." He yelled from behind the truck. El pressed down on the pedal again, hearing the sloshing sounds of mud being thrown everywhere from the spinning tires. Mike yelled something, but she didn't hear him.

"Woah, that's good El!" He yelled again, this time loud enough for her to hear, just not soon enough. 

El quickly took her foot off the pedal, leaning her upper body out the window to see Mike covered in mud.

Her mouth dropped in surprise and she failed miserably at keeping a straight face. The pleasure she was getting out of this situation was just too hard to hide.

"You think this is funny?" He challenged, creeping closer to her.

"No, please!" She pleaded through her laughter, knowing what his intentions were. She scooted back in the seat as far as she could, but he yanked the driver's side door open and took hold of her ankles.

"Come here, angel." He called to her, pulling her out of the truck, right into his dirty arms.

"You've just started a war mister." She warned him, mischievously glaring at him. 

"I'm so scared." He joked, running around to the other side of the truck. El bent down to scoop up a pile of mud in her hands causing Mike to hunch down out of sight.

She managed to get close enough without him noticing, giving her the perfect shot. She slung a handful of the wet dirt at him, covering his entire back. El let out a victorious laugh, sounding like a child. Knowing he would retaliate, she tried to run to the other side, but he was somehow too quick for her. He grabbed her waist, pulling them both down to the ground. Their bodies were now covered in the brown sludge. They continued rolling around in the middle of the dirt road, each working to get the other as filthy as possible. 

 

*** 

 

"Mike, this is the road to your house. Why are we going to your house?" El nervously asked, after noticing where they were headed. Mike had finally managed to get the truck moving, after they finished their silly mud war. They were supposed to be going to the movies, but this was definitely not the way to get there. 

"Are you crazy? We're covered in mud! We can't go anywhere until we clean ourselves up." He informed her, not taking his eyes off the road.

"Well then let's go to my house! I am not meeting your parents looking like this!" She desperately yelled.

Mike still kept his eyes glued on the road, only worrying El even more.

"Seriously Mike?! I'm not!" She pressed, causing him to finally shift his eyes from the road.

"Calm down, they're not even home." He told her, noticing her harsh expression ease up. El was still a little on edge the rest of the way there, she just had this feeling inside that something was going to happen. She felt a little better once they had arrived at Mike's, as it looked to be empty with no other cars in sight.   

Like a gentlemen, Mike opened the door for El to get out of the truck. He grabbed onto her small, muddy hand and shut the door behind her.

El took in their ridiculous appearances, wondering how they must look to the various groundskeepers nearby. Mike reached up to smear some of the dirt on her cheek, making her do the same to his nose. Their harmonious laughter could be heard by all the workers, but they paid them no mind.   
  


"Michael?" A stern voice interrupted their goofing off, both of their heads snapping toward the direction it came from. A very well dressed woman, with perfectly curled hair, stood at the top of the front staircase, looking unsatisfied at the sight before her. 

"Mom? I thought you guys would be out for the day?" Mike immediately questioned, confused as to why she was here right now.

"We came home early." She replied, her expression full of distaste.

"Mom, this is El." Mike apprehensively smiled, gesturing to the girl beside him. El was internally panicking, but managed to politely smile at the woman.

"Hi," El chirped, waving at her. Mike's mom took in her dirty appearance and shot her a forced smile.

"Go hose off in the back, we're just about to have an early dinner, so join us when you're clean yeah?" She demanded, walking away before Mike could even answer. Mike and El stared at each other in disbelief at what had just happened. Definitely not what they expected to walk into. 

 

Mike led El to the back of the house, where they began washing the filth off of them with the hose. Not even a minute later, they were joined by Mike's mother, looking just as unhappy as before. 

"These were Mike's sister's." She spoke, holding out a folded sundress and cardigan for El to take. "I'm sure they'll fit you."

"Oh, thank you, Mrs. Wheeler." El graciously took the dry clothes from her, only receiving another forced smile as she left to go back to the house.

"She hates me." El sighed once she was out of sight.

"She does not hate you." Mike opposed, "Now come on, get my back." He handed her the hose, then turned around. She sprayed his back, while her eyes roamed around, spotting something new nearby.

In the smaller building to the side of Mike's house, El could see what looked to be a grand piano, among many other instruments. She hadn't noticed it the other times she'd been there. Mike shortly got her attention, after taking the hose from her and spraying the remains of the mud from her backside.

"Geez, it's freezing!" She squealed, shivering from how cold it was. They continued spraying their bodies, taking longer than necessary. Neither of them wanted to sit down and converse with his parents. Mike just knew they would embarrass him somehow, while El just knew that she would probably embarrass herself.   


The couple eventually joined his parents for dinner, feeling the awkwardness that was already taking over the room, as they both sat down at the table. To say El was intimidated in this moment would be an understatement. She didn't like how inferior she felt, like this was the last place she belonged. The food on their plates probably cost more than El's dad spends on groceries for the month. The china the food was on, well that had to be worth more than her dad's house.

"Well, she's much prettier than you described her Mike." Mike's dad, Ted, said, breaking the painfully awkward silence. El smiled at the older man, appreciating the compliment.

"Thanks, dad." Mike mumbled, slightly embarrassed.

"Here, pass El some of this lamb chop." Ted suggested, handing Mike the dish full of meat.

"Oh, no, El's a vegetarian dad." Mike said, taking the dish from him, placing it back down on the table.

"Huh... Why?" Ted asked, genuinely curious. Mike gave him a shut-the-hell-up look but he didn't seem to notice.

"Just reasons." El said, smiling politely.

Mike's mom, who she learned was named Karen, sat across the table, looking to be completely uninterested in the conversation. The only thing that woman seemed to be interested in right now was her almost empty wine glass.

"So you bringing El to the wedding?" Ted asked, shoving another piece of broccoli in his mouth.

Mike really wished his dad would just shut up. He was just making the entire situation more uncomfortable, if that were even possible.

"Uh, well I-"

"Michael is taking Stacey, remember?" Karen interrupted, the new information causing El to accidentally drop her fork on her plate.

"Oops..." Ted joked, taking El's reaction as a sign that she wasn't aware of this information. 

"I'm sorry. I just was surprised to hear that, is all." She said apologetically, glancing at Mike for a moment, before looking away. Mike wished he could explain it to her. She probably thinks he purposely didn't invite her, when really he just hasn't gotten the chance to speak to his mom about it. El is the only person he wants to take to that wedding and she's probably sitting here thinking that he wants to go with Stacey.

"Mom, I actually wanted to talk to you about that. I was hoping-"

"I already sent out her invitation." Karen interrupted, once again, with a stern look on her face.

He sighed, knowing her would get nowhere with his mother. He didn't press any further, especially since he preferred not to have this conversation in front of El.

"El, did Mike tell you he's going to Vanderbilt in the fall? We're just so proud of him carrying on our family tradition!" Ted beamed, trying to change the subject to something less tense.

He failed, considering El didn't know that either.

"I bet you are, Vanderbilt is a great school!" El attempted to enthusiastically agree, not meeting Mike's eyes, which she could just feel were desperately pleading for her to not jump to conclusions.

"What about you? What are your plans for college?" Karen asked, with a brow raised.

"Oh, I'm not going anywhere." El said, feeling even smaller from the look Karen was now giving her. "I mean, I don't have anywhere planned for me."

Karen looked away from her, taking a long sip of her wine. She didn't speak another word to El for the rest of the evening.   


The remainder of their meal was just as uncomfortable as the start. El couldn't wait for it to be over, so she could be anywhere but in that room with them. Mike's dad seemed nice, even if he didn't know when to shut up. He kept saying things that he clearly shouldn't have, given the looks Mike and Karen were constantly throwing his way. At least El now understood why Mike spoke about his mom the way he did. She wasn't the most pleasant person to be around.

Okay, scratch that. She was horrible and El didn't think she'd ever win that woman over.   
  


"El, please don't be mad at me!" Mike pleaded, following behind her as she left the house and walked, rather quickly, through his back yard. She didn't really know where she was headed, just as long as it was far enough away from that house.

"I'm not mad Mike." El said, looking back over her shoulder, not slowing up.

"Yes, you are!"

She really wasn't mad, just annoyed that he hadn't told her any of the things she'd learned from his overly chatty father.

"Why would I be mad? If you wanna go to your sister's wedding with your ex-girlfriend, then go for it."

"I don't want to go with her! She's friends with my sister. It's not like I can just tell her not to come!" He said, hoping she'd understand.

"Mike, really, it's fine. Why would I want to go to a wedding with a bunch of people I don't even know anyways?"

"I want you to go with me. And you will okay? My mom will come around and if not, I'll just sneak you in!" El finally stopped walking, deciding that she couldn't be mad at him for something so unimportant. She trusted him and knew that he wouldn't lie to her. 

"What about Vanderbilt? I thought you said you were going to Columbia??"

"My parents want me to go to Vanderbilt. I want to go Columbia."

"So go to Columbia? It's your life. Go where you want."

Mike sighed, "It's complicated, okay? My parents are..." He tried to find the proper words to describe his lovely caregivers, but couldn't. They were too many unfortunate things at once and one word couldn't sum that up.

"Mike I understand, you don't have to get into it, really." She smiled, sympathetically. He pulled her closer into a tight embrace, thankful that she wasn't mad. He never intended to keep any of that from her, it just didn't seem important enough to bring up. He had planned on bringing her to the wedding this entire time and as for the whole college thing, well, that he was still trying to figure out himself.

  
"Come on, I wanna show you something!" She said, taking his hand and pulling him along with her, toward the building she noticed earlier.

"What are we doing in here?" Mike curiously asked, as El led him over to where the piano sat in the corner. She sat down on the bench in front of it, gesturing for him to sit too.

"You asked if there was anything else you didn't know about me. There is." She shyly admitted, putting her full attention on the beautiful instrument before her. She gently placed her fingers on the keys, everything she was once so familiar with flooding her mind. 

El played the first tune she could think of, one that she used to often play with her dad. It was one of her favorites. No matter how long it had been since she last played it, she still knew the notes by heart. Mike watched her, noticing how naturally it came to her. It looked as easy as walking down the street for her. He thought it was truly an amazing thing to witness. It also sounded so beautiful, the only thing he felt that could make this moment any better was if she started singing.  

El played the song through perfectly, finishing with a satisfied look on her face. She turned to Mike, who couldn't be more in love with the girl in front of him.  


"Why was I not aware of this God given talent you have huh?" He beamed, nudging her a bit. She humbly grinned up at him, laying her head on his shoulder. 

"I stopped playing when my dad left. All it would make me think of was him and I was so mad at him for abandoning us. I just couldn't bring myself to play anymore, so I didn't. I refused to. I haven't played since, until now... I guess I felt inspired." She tilted her head, so she could see his face. The two were locked in a warm gaze, until Mike leaned down a bit to kiss her. He didn't even have to say a word for El to understand that this was his way of thanking her for showing him this part of her life.

 

"So you sing, play piano... What else can you do?" Mike teased. 

"I've written and composed a few songs too..." She told him, not realizing he was kidding. 

"Damn, my girlfriend is a triple threat." He bragged, earning him a very appreciative smooch from her. El turned her body, moving to climb over onto his lap. She wasn't in the mood for talking anymore and soon realized, Mike wasn't either. 

 

***  


"Hey kid, you're home early! Have fun today?" Her dad called to her, after seeing her come through the shed door. 

El nodded wordlessly, as she joined him at the table, her smile wider than ever. 

"You okay?" He asked, noticing the look on her face. 

"Dad, I would usually talk about this stuff with a girl friend but I don't really have any here so..." Her voiced trailed off, hoping he would understand what she was getting at. He stared at her blankly for moment, before realization finally hit him. He quickly put his tools down, giving El his full attention.

"Okay yeah, you can talk to me. Let's talk!" He eagerly encouraged, happy that she wanted to confide in him.

El nodded, trying to find the words, but was speechless. How could she even begin to put it into words when she couldn't make sense of it in her own head?

Jim waiting patiently for her to speak, but she wasn't making a peep. He took in her lovestruck gaze and figured he'd go first.

"So you like Mike?"

She smiled, a bit disoriented, slightly nodding her head again.

"You like him a lot?" He guessed, based off the look on her face.

"I like him more than a lot. Is that crazy?" She asked, her expression full of doubt.

Jim sighed, not too surprised to learn she felt this way. Her change in disposition had been more than obvious this past month and he knew the reason for that.

The brightness that had always beamed from her years ago, was shining through again. She smiled genuine smiles and her happiness was contagious.

"Well, love is crazy El." He finally said, with a knowing smile across his face. 

"You know what else is crazy? I played today." 

"Really? El, that's great! How it'd feel?" Jim was over the moon to hear this. He hated to see her talent go to waste, so hearing that she had played after such a long time was the best news. 

"Like I never stopped." 

It felt amazing, like coming home. Before everything went wrong, playing piano always made her so at ease. When she played, everything else faded away. The only thing that mattered was the way her fingers gracefully landed on the keys and the beautiful sounds resulting from those delicate movements. She felt that way today, playing for Mike. She loved that feeling. She loved it so much that she was really questioning how she ever stopped playing.   


Not too long ago, she thought that happy girl who had such a strong love for playing piano would be gone forever.

Looking at herself that night in the mirror as she got ready for bed, she noticed that that girl had miraculously returned and she couldn't be more relieved to see her again.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this chapter took me forever to finish! I've been busy with school and then I went on a mini vacay, so I didn't have much time to write! When I did have time, I literally sat staring at my screen for so long and couldn't seem to get anything decent written. I won't take ten years to post the next chapter though, I promise! I already have like half of it finished, so expect that sometime soon!


	12. Chapter 12

It was a gorgeous Sunday. The weather was as perfect as it could get, like most days. The sun was out and shining bright, a light breeze blowing every now and then, and the temperature was just right. It was an ideal day for residents of Wrightsville Beach to spend outdoors, soaking up as much summer sun as they could.

For Mike, it was a great day to play some beach volleyball. For El, it was a great day to watch Mike play some beach volleyball. From what he'd told her, this game was supposed to be really important for them, especially for Lucas. This game would determine whether they would get the chance to play in the finals, happening in a couple of weeks. As for Lucas, he was looking to get some recognition from some college reps after playing in this game. He was hoping to earn a scholarship or even just a recommendation if he played well enough. El, being from New York, was a bit surprised to learn that beach volleyball was such a huge college sport in these places. 

 

"I'm surprised you showed up." Lucas snapped, not even looking at Mike as he joined him on their side of the court.

"Lucas, seriously? Will you stop being a dick? I can't believe you're pissed because I can't spend every second of the day with you. I have a life too you know and I'm not going to apologize for finally finding someone I want to be with."

No way Mike was going to apologize for that. They were about to go off to separate colleges and start their lives. Lucas had to get used to being on his own at some point. Mike also knew that if Lucas had managed to find someone he wanted around for more than just sex, he wouldn't think twice about ditching Mike for her. So he really didn't want to hear it.

"Just keep your head in the game, we can't lose this one. My future depends on it." Lucas said, roughly shoving the volleyball in Mike's hands.

"Relax! These guys haven't won a game all year!"

"If you play the way you have been, then they just might. Your lack of focus will be our downfall." Lucas griped, his face full of frustration.

"My lack of focus? I am focused!!" Mike argued.

"Yeah, focused on that chick from the Lost Boys."

"El. Her name is El, which I've told you multiple times now." Mike rolled his eyes, not understanding why Lucas couldn't just use her name for once. He was acting like she wasn't worthy of literally the two seconds of his time that it took to say her name.

"Whatever, man. I'm just saying, ever since you met her, you haven't been yourself."

"What are you talking about?"

"Literally right after that little milkshake incident happened, you missed half the digs in that game. And that day she just disappeared during practice, you couldn't even pay attention long enough to serve the ball correctly. Your mind seems to only be on one thing lately and that isn't gonna work for me."

"Are you done?" Mike snapped, really not in the mood to listen to anymore of this.

Lucas's jarring gaze didn't falter, until he finally gave in, somewhat nodding his head.

"Good, now shut the hell up with your whining and let's just win this." Mike encouraged, shoving the ball back in Lucas's hands. 

In the stands, El was keeping an eye out for her dad and Sara. They were meeting her there to watch the game and she was doing everything she could to keep their seats saved. There were way more people here than she expected there to be. Every time someone would try and sit down next to her, she had to politely inform them the seats were taken, earning her several dirty looks.

_Geez, people here are so rude._

"Hey, dad! Over here!" She yelled once she spotted them, waving her hand in the air until they found her amongst the crowd.

"Oh look, a shoplifter and an arsonist," an arrogant voice spoke from behind her. El just knew who that voice belonged to before she even turned around. It was Stacey, of course. El frowned, her eyes full of confusion, given she had no idea what the girl was talking about.

_Arsonist?_

"You didn't know about your dad and the church?" Stacey gathered from the clueless look on her face.

_The church that almost burned down? What the hell is up with everyone and that damn fire?_

El shook the comment off for now, motioning for them to join her on the bleachers.

"This is so cool!" Sara yelled over the loud noise of the crowd, as she sat down next to El.

"Yeah it is isn't it?" El agreed, giving Stacey a harsh glare, before turning back around to enjoy the start of the game. 

 

El attentively watched as Mike and Lucas bustled around the court. Mike jogged up to the service line, then glanced over in her direction, flashing a quick smile. Lucas, being Lucas, wasn't happy about the gesture, but Mike really didn't care. He was happy to see El and if he wanted to stop for a moment and smile at her, then he would.

Mike moved so easily through the sand, just like when he's in the water. El was starting to think Mike could do just about anything and make it look good. He got ready to serve the ball, then signaled something to Lucas. If she thought Mike was playing hard, then Lucas was playing ten times harder. The sweat dripping down his face was visible from where she was sitting and his extensive movements looked to be downright painful. He was playing like his life depended on it, but in a way, it kind of did. Mike noticed Lucas's intensity, not that it was very subtle. It was typical of him, though. He tended to go over the top with most things in life. Mike found it to be slightly irritating, but understood his reasons for it, most of the time. He just never found this to be that serious, it was just a game after all. 

Mike threw the ball up in the air, serving it hard, then raced to the other side of the court. He full on dove in the sand, in order to prevent the ball from hitting the ground. He did all he could to hit it, so the direction it went in wasn't where he had intended for it to go. The ball went out, meaning they hadn't scored. Lucas's hands flew up in frustration, his verbal expressions on Mike's failed attempt at a score, slipping out left and right. Mike rose from the sand, ignoring every word Lucas said. He missed a shot, big deal. He'd just make the next one. 

Lucas's anger dissolved quickly, once they got back into the game. Both of them played their hardest, which was exhausting just for El to watch.

The game went on, with the two of them scoring over and over again. They ended up crushing their opponents. All hard feelings toward Mike were nonexistent, as Lucas repeatedly patted him on the shoulder, before being approached by the college scouts he hopefully managed to impress. 

"Mike!! You guys did awesome!" El commended proudly, after finally making her way through the crowd to him.

"Yeah, Mike! You did great!" Sara agreed, quickly hugging him, before realizing how sweaty he was and murmuring a disgusted, "Ew!"

"Thank you." He panted, still trying to regain his steady breathing after all the running around he just did.

"Good game kid, I never knew this could be so intense." Jim said, his voice full of humor.

"With Lucas as my teammate, intense is the only way to play." He sighed, wishing he were joking. 

"Anyone up for some ice cream, to celebrate? I'm sure Mike here could use something to cool him off?" Jim asked them all, looking to Mike for the final decision.

"Oh, definitely." He nodded, grabbing one of El's hands as they all found an opening to get away from the mass of people now surrounding the court.

The four of them spent the rest of the day celebrating Mike's victory. They talked, enjoyed some delightful ice cream, and shared an insane amount of laughter.

Mike wished his own parents would come to his matches or simply go out to get ice cream with him. Well, he wished he had always had the type of parents who did that kind stuff. If his mom or dad actually did either of those things now, they'd make the entire situation miserable. Or they'd just complain about how hot it was outside and that they could be spending their time doing far more important things than watching a silly volleyball match.

He'd gladly spend his time with El and her family. He basically already thought of Sara as his little sister and Jim treated him better than his own parents did, even though Mike knew he didn't deserve it. 

 

***

 

"This was your awesome plan that you were so secretive about?" El scoffed, staring at the giant tree in front of them, not really seeing why he was so hyped about it.

"What? It's cool!" Mike justified, taking offense to her lack of enthusiasm.

"Mike, we're just climbing up a tree!?" She laughed, still not very enthused.

"So hard to please." He dramatically groaned, making El scrunch up her face before jokingly rolling her eyes.

"Come on, up you go." He gave her a push up onto the tree branch nearest to the ground. She carefully climbed up a few higher ones, until finding one strong enough to sit on. He followed behind, his long legs giving him an advantage, allowing him to climb much quicker. He sat down on the branch in front of hers, so that he could face her and still be able to do what he had planned. 

He carefully dug in his front pocket, pulling out his pocket knife that he'd brought along just for this moment.

"Woah there buddy, why do you have a knife?" She asked, eyeing the sharp object in his hand.

"Relax, I'm just carving our names in the tree." He unfolded the knife, then looked for the perfect spot on the tree trunk. "Well, maybe I'll just do our initials."

"Oh my God. Are you for real right now?" She gasped, struggling to conceal her disbelief at the gesture.

"Yes?"

"This is terribly cliche, you know that right?" El laughed, as Mike unashamedly took her teasing.

"Oh shut up, beneath your whole emo-esque persona, you love it." He joked, as he started to carve his initials in the tree. El watched him, still tickled that he was really doing this. It didn't take him long to finish, then he was carving a plus sign underneath. "Okay, your initials?"

"EJH"

"What's your middle name?"

"Jane."

"El Jane Hopper?" He spoke properly, trying out the way her full name sounded. Something about it didn't sound quite right, though.

"Well, no. My first name isn't actually El, that's just a nickname."

"What is it then?" He casually asked, while working on the "E."

"Promise you won't laugh?" She asked, in a serious tone. He looked up from the dark tree, into her much darker eyes. A genuine smile appearing on his face.

"I promise."

"It's Eleanor." She finally admitted, averting her eyes from his. Despite his promise, Mike couldn't help but express his amusement. El reached out, gently hitting his arm.

"You promised you wouldn't laugh!!" 

"I'm sorry I couldn't help it... That's my grandma's name."

"No... Are you serious?" El hid her face in her hands, before quickly removing them. "I have the same name as your grandmother?? Oh God. Now all you're gonna think of when you say my name is her!"

"Nah." Mike muttered, finding her reaction to be hilarious.

"Come on, it's weird. I mean, you can't have-" El cut herself off, before saying something she really didn't want to say out loud. Her mouth was getting way ahead of her brain for second there.

"Can't have what?" Mike questioned, his satisfied demeanor telling her that he already knew what she was going to say.

"Can't have... a normal relationship with someone that has the same name as your grandmother." She tried to sell as what she had meant to say, but Mike wasn't buying it.

"No, no that's not what you were gonna say." The grin on his face only getting bigger. "Nope. I think you were gonna say you can't have sex with someone that has the same name as your grandmother."

"What?" She yelped, immediately denying it. "No, no I wasn't. I wasn't gonna say that."

"El." His brows raised, accompanied by a canny look. "You wanna have sex with me don't you?"

"No!" She attempted to convince him, but it wasn't too strong. "I mean not right now."

"Well I'd hope not, we are sitting in a tree. That would be extremely difficult. And think about all the places we could get splinters." He went on, before noticing her annoyance at his poking fun at the situation. "Sorry, sorry. I'll shut up."

"I do, though, eventually..." El sighed, all joking aside. She was completely serious now. Mike was, of course, thrilled to hear that. Sex was a serious step in a relationship (not that he's ever taken that step- yes, he's still a virgin. El is too, but neither of them learn of this important information until much later). Knowing El felt this way about it, though, meant so much to him. He felt the exact same way and to know that they were on the same page made him overjoyed. 

"Well, right back at ya." He said, lightly nudging her leg with his. Matching smiles crossed each of their faces, both of them feeling like they'd grown closer within the span of time their previous conversation took to finish. 

"Okay, get to carving my initials mister!" She told him, wanting to move on from the current topic.

"MTW?" She wondered aloud, realizing that she didn't actually know his full name. "What's your middle name?"

"Theodore." He stated, then looked at her funny. "Please don't tell me that's your grandpa's name?"

"Nope." She snickered, shaking her head. "It's actually Clyde."

"Oh dear God, that's even worse. Poor guy." 

 

El leaned on the tree trunk beside her, staring at Mike. His face was consumed by concentration, as he carved the remaining letters in the tree. Like most days she spends with him, there was a brief moment where time would seem to cease. Everything around them would feel frozen, reminding El just how lucky she was to have this amazing guy in her presence. All she could do was stare at him, taking in each of the things she adored about him.

He was really sitting here carving their initials in a tree. No matter how cheesy it was, it was adorable and she couldn't possibly ask for anyone more perfect. 

 

"So, what makes you think I'm emo??" El asked Mike, who had eventually moved to the branch beside her.

"I didn't say you were, I just said you had an emo-esque persona."

"What the hell does that even mean?" El asked, her high-pitched voice filled with confusion.

"Just, you like wearing black, you have your nose pierced... You just give off that dark, 'I hate everything' vibe, until of course I got to know you and realized that you're basically the softest girl around who owns the color black." Major emphasis on “owns” because seeing her in black just makes him feel all sorts of things.

"Oh God, so wearing black and having a stud in my nose makes me emo?"

"Emo-esque." He corrected her, leaning over to kiss her cheek. 

"Okay, well you give off a vibe too you know?" She simply stated.

"What kind of vibe is that?"

"Rich guy who has lots of sex with blondes. Sucks at air hockey." She shrugged, an innocent look on her face.

"Hey!"

"I'm kidding." El exhaled, then hummed, as if she were contemplating whether or not she actually was kidding. "You do suck pretty bad at air hockey though..."

"As I told you that day, I was distracted!!" Mike reminded her, defensively. 

"Mhm-hm. Sure you were." 

"Oh hey, we gotta go." El announced out of nowhere.

"Go where?" Mike asked, as she motioned for him to climb down.

"Dinner at my house tonight. Dad told me to invite you, so wanna come?"

"Oh yeah, definitely. Let's just hope it goes better than dinner with my parents." He teased, before stopping his movements, realizing what he had said. "Actually, I don't even have to hope for that, I know it will go well. Unlike my parents, your dad is an actual human being with a conscience and a beating heart. Mine may be programmed robots or some shit like that. Who knows at this point?" 

The two climbed down the tree, chuckling at Mike's comment about his insufferable parents, leaving a mark of their relationship behind.

**_MTW_ **

**_+_ **

**_EJH_ **

***

 

"You're such a liar." Mike shouted, his voice bouncing off the walls around them. "You've been lying all night and I'm tired of it!"

"Oh no buddy, you're the one who's been lying!" El shouted back. Their banter had been going on for awhile now. The other two in the room enjoying every minute, occasionally jumping in with their own comments.

Jim had made spaghetti, which they had all, for the most part, cleared off their plates. The four of them were still sitting at the kitchen table, each holding playing cards. They were completely engulfed in a game of liar's poker. Mike was holding an eight of hearts, Jim had a three of hearts, while Sara kept her nine of spades carefully hidden from the rest of the table. There were piles of change stacked in front of each of them. In the middle of the table, sat a bucket filled with quarters and dimes.

"You're both lying!" Sara yelled. "Neither of you know how to tell the truth."

Mike stared Sara down, offering his best game face, as he reached into his pile of change.

"Alright, a quarter says you don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh no, you messed up my friend." Jim said, shaking his head. "Game over. I'll raise you fifty cents."

"I'll see that!" El confidently challenged. Mike and Sara immediately followed suit.

All of them eyed one another, before slapping their cards on the table. El had been holding an eight, meaning she lost. They had all lost, to Sara. Again. 

"I knew it! You're all liars!" Sara gloated, collecting her winnings. The rest of them expressed their disappointment, having lost to her over and over again.

El noticed that the night had gone pretty well. She already knew Mike had gotten along well with her dad, based off the few times they'd briefly spoken to each other. And Sara loved him, probably a little too much. El hadn't known what to expect though, with them spending a majority of the evening together.

Her beloved family members only embarrassed her twice, which was good compared to how bad it could have been. Mike was also overly polite, which Jim appreciated, but kept telling him to "knock it off with the Sir."

Their dinner conversation wasn't awkward at all, like it had been with Mike's family. They talked about the sea turtles, Sara's favorite things to do since she arrived there, Mike's interests and even shared a few stories El hadn't gotten to hear before. Her dad and Mike kept venturing off into their own conversations, which Sara and El found to be entertaining. They seemed to forget the two girls were also in the room.

At least one of their parents approved of their relationship. El just wished it had been this easy with Mike's parents. 

 

***

 

"Tonight was fun." Mike told El, wrapping his arms around her slim waist, while they stood out on the front porch.

"Yeah, it was." She agreed, placing her arms around his neck. "I think my dad may like you more than he does me."

"Are we surprised?" He joked, earning a light shove from El. "So, I guess I'll see you tomorrow, Eleanor." Mike pressed his lips to her forehead, before she pulled away.

"Not if you call me that again." She warned, staring up at him defiantly.

"It's cute." He admitted, moving his face closer to hers again.

"It's an old lady name, i.e. your grandmother."

"Michael kinda is too though. Hey, Michael and Eleanor, the perfect 80 year old couple."

"That's depressing." El spoke through her laughter. 

"No, it's a sign we're like destined to be together until we're old, gray, and sitting on porch swings complaining about everything."

"Guess we're stuck with each other then." She shrugged, wrinkling her nose as if she hated the thought. Really, she loved it. They both did. 

"Guess so." He said back, showing the same faux disappointment. 

El pulled him close, eliminating the space between them. Their mouths met instantly, the familiar feeling of each other's lips bringing them both comfort. Mike's hands ran over various parts of her body, filling her with warmth. 

Neither of them let up, continuing their wondrous exchange for however long they could. It was their favorite activity after all. 

 

After saying goodbye to Mike, El joined her dad in the kitchen. He was in the process of washing dishes in the sink. Why he didn't have a dishwasher, she still didn't understand. She grabbed a dish towel from the drawer, deciding to take over the drying.

"You can go watch TV with your sister, I can handle the dirty work."

"No, it's okay. I wanna help." She told him, picking up a plate from the rack and drying it.

They settled into a process of washing and drying the dishes, the silence peaceful and sort of comforting. They hadn't done anything like this since El was younger and it felt nice. Just standing in the kitchen, doing the dishes like family members normally do. 

"Dad, can I ask you something?" El spoke quietly, having been caught up in her own thoughts for the past few minutes.

"Sure, what is it?" He asked, not looking up from the sink.

"Why'd you leave us?" She asked, causing him to finally make eye contact. His eyes were full of uncertainty. "Come on dad, I'm old enough to know. I need to know."

Jim picked up the stack of now clean plates, taking his time putting them away, obviously trying to put this conversation off. He looked to be wrestling with something, trying to figure out what exactly he wanted to say, or if he should say anything at all.

"After I stopped teaching at Juilliard, I took any kind of work I could get. I was desperate for whatever life threw my way, as long as I was getting to do what I loved. I guess I should've thought the whole thing through before I quit teaching. It was a stable job and I traded it in for one that required me to travel anywhere and everywhere. I didn't know how hard it was going to be on you guys, on your mom. She took it pretty hard. I was gone so much that I guess we just... drifted apart."

El watched her dad as he spoke, trying to read between the lines.

"Dad..." 

"She met someone else, El..."

El froze, not believing what had just come out of her dad's mouth. Her mom had found someone else? She had cheated on him.

"I guess I couldn't blame her, I mean, I was gone. It wasn't right for me to never be around."

El was furious, with her mom and with herself. This entire time El had been so horrible to her dad, never returning his phone calls, never opening his letters. She hated the man's existence the second he left them for good. She had blamed him, when this whole time she should've been blaming her mom.

"No, dad. That wasn't your fault, you didn't deserve to be cheated on, no matter how much you weren't home. You were working, making money for your family. God, I cannot believe this. This whole time she made you look like the bad guy, when it was her all along."

"I didn't tell you this to make you mad at her, okay? I just felt you deserved to know the truth. Don't blame her. It was both of our faults."

"No! No, it really wasn't. I don't blame you dad, not at all. And I'm so sorry. I never would've treated you the way I did if I had known the truth. I know that's no excuse, but... You didn't deserve to be on the other end of my disgusting behavior."

"It's okay, Ellie. You didn't know." He assured her, as she crossed the short distance between them, pulling him in for a big hug.

"I'm going to make it up to you dad, I swear it." El told him, hugging him tighter.

Jim wanted to assure her that she owed him nothing, but he knew how stubborn she was. She wouldn't stop until she felt she had made up for her behavior. He figured it was best to just let her do what she needed, in order to forgive herself. He knew that feeling all too well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I lied, this didn't get out as soon as I'd hoped. Oops. Mike and El would not be too happy with me since you know, friends don't lie. (geez I hate myself) For some reason I keep writing for every other chapter except the one I need to be writing for. So the next few chapters are almost finished. Anyways, hope you enjoyed, next chapter will be out whenever it's out! I'm not gonna say "soon" anymore, because like Hopper, I am not exactly sure when soon will be. <3


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, another update like 3 days after the last one? Who am I??
> 
> Really though, I was behind an update, so I owed you one.
> 
> Enjoy!

El spent the first half of her morning out on the beach, inspecting the turtle nest. She had been a little preoccupied lately, so she hadn't checked on it in awhile. Not that she really needed to, ever since the aquarium put the cage up around it, the sea turtles were fully protected. She still liked to keep an eye on it, just in case one of those raccoons got to messing with it. 

"El! Look what came for you!" She heard Sara yell, as she ran out from the house, to where El was sitting. She handed her a large square envelope, with El's name written in beautiful cursive on the front. There was also a post-it note stuck to it, with not so neat handwriting on it. From what she could make out of the messy penmanship, it said "Better late than never!"

Knowing exactly what was inside, El ripped open the envelope, sliding out the card stock that read:

**_Please join us in celebrating the union of_ **

**_Nancy Kay Wheeler & Steven James Hargrove_ **

**_July 7th at 2:00 in the evening_ **

It was her invitation to Nancy's wedding. She was starting to think she'd never actually get it. As the wedding grew closer, El had really hoped Mike could somehow get his mom to let her attend. After all, Mike was her boyfriend. She may not know Nancy, but this was an important day for Mike. His sister was getting married, how could it not be? And she wanted to be there with him, even if she would feel entirely out of place, amongst all those wealthy people.

El read the invitation aloud, earning her an overly excited high-five from Sara. She was so thrilled to tell her dad, that she dropped what she was doing and took off down the street. The church wasn't too far from their house, so the walk there wouldn't be that much for her.

She entered the church, spotting her dad sitting on one of the few pews randomly placed throughout the small building.

"Dad! My invitation came, for the wedding!" She happily informed him, waving it in front of her. He took the invitation, looking over the fancy writing.

"I told you! I knew it would all work out, I'm so happy for you El!" He congratulated her, before handing it back and reaching in his pocket. He grabbed his wallet and took out a handful of cash. "Here, take this."

"Oh, no, dad. I wasn't gonna ask you." She quickly denied, not wanting him to think that she expected him to pay for anything.

"Please, El. I have years of shopping to make up for. The least I can do right now is give you money for a dress." He insisted, placing the money in her hand.

She was overcome with gratitude, accepting his proposition. "Thank you, dad."

El stuck the money in her back pocket, then took a seat next to him on the pew.

"Why are you doing all this?" She asked, looking around at the damaged interior of the church. The inside looked untouched, like the fire had just happened. She figured they must have not gotten to restoring the inside yet.

"Well, I've spent a lot of time here, El. I used to go here with my family as a child. Then when I moved back, I would come here every day and play piano. Sometimes they'd let me give lessons here. This place just always had a special place in my heart and made me feel safe."

"Then why do people say you burned it down?" She hesitantly asked, hoping her saying this wouldn't hurt his feelings.

"You heard that huh?" Jim looked away for a minute, not wanting to meet her curious gaze.

"Well, I heard something like that, but just assumed this is what they were talking about..."

"I was here that night, of the fire. I had been here for hours playing, then next thing I knew, I was lying in a hospital bed." His voice had a bit of uneasiness to it, as he noticed El's somewhat calm exterior flood with concern.

"How'd it start?"

"I don't really know, maybe there were some candles lit or something. I was a bit confused, so I didn't remember any of it."

"Confused how?" She asked, slightly worried.

"I'd been taking some medications and I-" El promptly interrupted him, his eyebrows furrowing at her sudden panicking.

"Medications? What medications?" Okay, now she was really worried. The idea of her father taking medications that made him feel confused could not lead to something good. 

"It's nothing El, just-"

"What's wrong? Are you okay?" She frantically asked, her nerves getting the best of her. Her mind was jumping to all sorts of conclusions and not one of them was comforting.

"El, I'm fine, everything's fine." He sounded as if he were trying to convince the both of them that. She sighed after he gave her a nod of certainty.

"Okay." El hoped that he was right and everything really was fine. "Wait is that why we got kicked out of the bowling alley that day?? People treat you so badly because they think you did this?"

"Yeah, this place is a pretty important part of this town and people aren't too happy with what I did. That's why I'm working so hard to help fix it up. I owe it them. Besides, this helps so I can feel just a little less guilty about it."

"Dad..." She didn't know what else to say. She just knew she hated this whole situation.

"Don't stress over it, okay? I'm fine and soon enough, this place will be too." Jim placed his hand on top of hers, squeezing it, hoping to bring her a sense of relief. "Everything will be just fine."   
  
  


El tried to shake the horrible feeling she got from what her dad had told her, but she just couldn't. She was so worried that something was wrong with him, or specifically, wrong with his health. She spent the rest of the day obsessing over it, trying to figure out what could have possibly been wrong, so much so that she felt physically sick. 

The next day, El still couldn't rid herself of all those bad feelings. They were just constantly there, reminding her that she had absolutely no clue what was actually going on. It was eating her up inside.

She knew if she didn't get out of the house and do something, she'd sit there and worry about it for the rest of the day. And that wouldn't be good for anyone. So El made it her sole mission for the day to find a dress for the wedding. Surely that would help take her mind off things. Well, it would take her mind off worrying about her dad. Now, she would have to worry about whether or not a dress would be nice enough for this fancy wedding.

After asking five different women on the street where the best dress shop was, she finally found a decent looking one. Well, the outside looked decent. She hoped the inside, as well as their selection of dresses would be too. She couldn't just wear something simple. This was Mike's sister's wedding. His family would be there. His mom would be there. Usually El didn't care what people thought of her, but this was Mike's mother. She didn't want to give the woman another reason to hate her.

She crossed the street quickly, heading straight for the entrance, when the loud sound of familiar voices stopped her from going any further. She turned toward the parking lot, where she saw Max, struggling to cling on to a furious, slightly intoxicated, Troy.

"Troy! Please don't leave!" Max screamed, through her tears. She continued grabbing onto him, but he shoved her away each time.

"I told you! I need my money bitch! You don't have it, so I'm done! I'm not running a fucking homeless shelter!" He screamed, making her cower away.

"Max, you okay?" El yelled, getting both of their attention. Troy smirked, just thrilled to see her again, while Max groaned.

"Go away. I don't need your help." She yelled at El, clinging on to Troy again. He shoved her back once more, making her fall to the ground. Troy got in his truck, slamming the door shut behind him. He gave Max one last look of disgust and drove off, dust from the gravel taking over the air around them. El slowly went over to where Max was still on the ground. She bent down in front of her, but Max remained hunched over, hiding her tear soaked face.

"You don't deserve to be treated like that, Max." El said sincerely. Max didn't respond, but El could hear the sounds of her sobbing. She reached in her purse, then placed the cash her dad had given her on the ground. She didn't know why she did it. After what Max did to her, she shouldn't have even given her a second glance when she heard the yelling. Something in her felt for the girl, though. She was clearly in a bad place. She was stuck in a horrible relationship with a horrible guy. Now, she had nowhere to live. Maybe giving her this money would help make things better for her somehow.

Unfortunately, El was now in a bit of bad place herself. Not as serious, but still bad. She had to figure out how exactly she was going to get a dress without any money.

_Damn me and my random act of kindness._

 

***

 

"What are you doing?" Sara asked, noticing the mess El had made of their room. Clothes were strewn all over the place, covering their beds and the floor. It looked like someone had attempted to rob the place, going through every inch of the entire room, but then changed their mind and bolted.

"I need something to wear to the wedding." El said, continuing her search for anything she could consider wearing. Literally anything.

"What happened to the money dad gave you this morning?"

"I gave it away..." She admitted quietly, regretting it immediately, as Sara's eyes widened in shock.

"What?! You gave all that money away? Are you crazy!"

"Shh! Look, the person really needed it okay? Don't tell dad, please!" El begged, hoping her sister would be able to keep her mouth shut. Sara looked to be having an internal battle with herself on whether she wanted to tell or not. Thankfully she didn't say a thing, just went over to her bed and pulled out a tin box from underneath it.

"Here, take this." She handed her the box, with a loving smile on her face. El opened it, to find multiple twenty dollar bills, several tens and more one dollar bills than she could count.

"Jesus, where'd you get all this money?" El asked, collecting it all in her hands to count.

"Well, this is from that night at the beach when you wanted me to get dad away." Sara said, picking up a ten. "This is from that time you snuck out with Will to go to that party and this is from the guy with the blue hair." She snickered, picking up another twenty. "This is from-"

"Okay! I get it!" El laughed, but then shook her head. "I can't take all this from you."

"Oh please, knowing you, there will be plenty more. Besides, I like Mike. I don't want him breaking up with you because you look crappy at a wedding."

"Thank you Sara, really." El hugged Sara tightly, then kissed the top of her head. "Hey, wanna come shopping with me? We still have a few hours before the stores start closing and I could really use some help."

"Let's go!" Sara screamed, jumping off the bed.   
  


The first shop they visited was the one from earlier. Luckily, there was no teenage drama to distract El this time from going in. As soon as they'd stepped foot in the shop, Sara took off down one of the aisles. El went down another one, looking over all the dresses hanging on the racks.

Some of them were atrocious and definitely not what she was going for. She did end up finding a few that she liked, so she grabbed those to try on. Sara eventually came wobbling around the corner, holding so many dresses that you could barely see her tiny body behind them.

"Wow, you hit the jackpot. You really liked all of these dresses?" El asked her seemingly invisible sister, before she poked her head out from behind them all.

"Yes I did and I think you will too, so let's get to trying them on!" Sara lifted up the bottoms of the dresses in her hands so she wouldn't step on them, before wandering off to the back of the store. El found them a dressing room, hanging up all the dresses she had to choose from. There had to be at least twenty of them, surely one would work out.

She tried each of them on, taking her time admiring her appearance in each one. Some of them were strapless, some had thin spaghetti straps, while the rest were in their own unique category. Some she tried on weren't her size, especially in the bust area. Hers was simply too small to fill many of the ones she had actually liked. Most of the dresses were short, which didn't seem appropriate for this occasion. The remaining options were just too long. She felt like Goldilocks. They were either too long or too short; too big or too small. The amount of times she'd been let down by those excessive pieces of fabric was depressing.

"Let me have one more look around! I think there was a whole other rack I didn't check! Be right back!" Sara ran off, back toward the front of the store. A few minutes later, she returned with one dress. The first thing El noticed is how puffy it was, much puffier than any of the others. It was a light purple strapless dress, with tiered tulle ruffles. The lining underneath was a light pink, which made the purple appear to be a lighter shade. A darker purple velvet belt went around the waist, accompanying the dress very nicely. It definitely wasn't like anything El had worn before.

She tried it on, not sure at first how it would look, but was utterly surprised. It fit her perfectly and looked better on her than any of the others. The tag's listed original price was $200.00, so it was definitely a good quality dress. Thank God it was discounted as much as it was though, because there was no way she'd be paying that much for a dress.

After looking over just about every detail, there were simply no complaints for this one. It looked great, felt great, the length was perfect, and the price was more than reasonable. She knew she had to have it.

"This is the one!" El exclaimed, feeling relieved that she had finally found one. She thanked Sara for finding the dress, before taking in her reflection as she spun around again.

"Alright let's take this bad boy home!" Sara squealed, smacking El on the butt as she went to change out of the winning dress.

The two Hopper girls couldn't help but gush over the dress the whole way home. El really loved it and hoped that Mike would too. 

 

***

 

Mike's POV

"He thinks he's the reason that fire started." El's cheerless voice spoke, her eyes not leaving her dad, as she watched him through the window.

"I'm sure he didn't start that fire, it's just people talking you know?" Mike tried to console her, even if he didn't believe the words coming out of his own mouth.

"That's why he's been pushing himself so hard though. I hear him out here late at night working on those stupid windows. He won't let himself have a break. I'm really worried about him, Mike." 

"Hey, it'll be okay." He assured her, pulling her closer to kiss her forehead.

When she'd asked him to come over this morning, he could tell by the tone of her voice that something might be wrong. Then he'd gotten here and definitely knew something was wrong. She wasn't her usual self. Her eyes didn't light up when he called her beautiful, nor did she smile at him in the way that showed almost all of her teeth. She just looked so down and it hurt him to see her this way. He insisted she tell him what was wrong and she did right away. She'd been expressing her worries about her father almost all morning and Mike felt like scum of the Earth. He left her house later that evening with one thought on his mind: He had to talk to Lucas.

And that's exactly what he did the next day, as soon as he saw him clock in for work.  
  
  


"Can we talk?" Mike asked, in a hushed tone. Lucas followed him, not saying a word until they were in a more secluded area, out of any possible prying ears.

"We have to tell the truth about the fire." Mike demanded.

"What the hell, Mike! No, no way!" Lucas protested as his anger visibly rose by the second.

"We have to do the right thing!"

"What because of your girlfriend? You think she's gonna let this slide if you tell the truth?" Lucas was running his hands anxiously through his hair.

"It doesn't matter, her dad thinks he did it! We both know what really happened that night and he deserves to know the truth." Mike couldn't stomach keeping this from El, from her dad. He could see it with his own eyes just how hard Jim worked helping restore that place. It was too much. The man didn't deserve to carry that guilt, when he had nothing to do with it.

"No, he doesn't. That man is perfectly fine living his life. He didn't get charged for it. If we tell the truth now, both of our lives are ruined." He stared at Mike like he was speaking a whole other language. "Don't be stupid, Mike. Keep your damn mouth shut."

Lucas ran out of the room, leaving a frustrated Mike behind. That wasn't how he wanted that conversation to go, even though it was exactly what he expected. He couldn't continue harboring this secret, though. He knew who started that fire and it was definitely not Jim Hopper. The guilt was always present from the moment Mike had found out there was someone else in that church, but that was when it was just another man in town. Now that the man was his girlfriend's father, the guilt was infinitely worse.

The longer Mike kept this to himself, the worse it would be if anyone found out, if El found out. He wanted so badly to tell, but without Lucas to back him up, it would be useless. If he snitched, there was no doubt in his mind that Lucas would lie to cover his own ass, leaving Mike out to take all the blame.

But Mike didn't see that as too big of an issue, if the alternative meant that El and her family were hurting.

 

***

 

Days had passed and Mike still felt the guilt gnawing at him. He hadn't mustered up the courage yet to say anything and he hated himself more and more each day for it. How was he supposed to just come right out and say it, though?

_"Hey Jim, oh by the way, you didn't start that fire in the church. Troy Harrington did and I knew this whole time, but said nothing because I'm a little bitch.'"_

Yeah, that wouldn't go over too well. He hoped that someday soon he'd grow some balls and just tell the man, but when exactly soon would be, he had no idea.   
  


It was now Fourth of July. One of his absolute favorite holidays. He just loved how the whole town felt like an entirely different place. Everyone was especially chipper on this one specific day and it was comforting in a way. Nothing to worry about, just a day to celebrate America, eat too much good food, and enjoy all the typical activities that accompanied the holiday. The carnival down by the pier always shot off a crazy amount of fireworks, making their beloved beach looked like something out of a movie.

He was taking El to all the festivities and couldn't be more excited. Hopefully this night would help push away some of the nagging thoughts that had been on his mind for days.   
  
  


Mike's right hand was holding on tightly to El's left, as they wandered around the carnival. They'd only arrived half an hour ago, so they hadn't made it around to everything just yet. Mike had tried to win El a stuffed animal, key word: tried. He failed, miserably, and was going to attempt again, but she refused to let him waste any more of his money on the rigged overpriced game.

El had easily convinced him to take pictures in the photo booth with her. They hopped in the tiny booth, El sitting on his lap. Each of the four photos showed entirely different poses. The first one caught them off guard, but gave them an adorable candid of Mike staring lovingly at his girlfriend. The second they had managed to prepare for and got a nice shot of them smiling. The next one, El had snuck a kiss to his cheek last minute, capturing the faint surprise on Mike's face. The last one snapped an innocent kiss between the two, completing the strip of photos. El took the paper from the slot, smiling as she looked them over, each photo making her heart warm. Mike offered to let her keep them, but El insisted that they split them in half.   
  
  


"Can we please go on the ferris wheel?" El begged as they later reached the area where all the rides were. She looked up at him, with pleading eyes shining bright as they reflected their colorful surroundings.

"Of course we can, the ferris wheel is my favorite ride you know." Mike happily told her.

"Shut up! It's mine too!" Her excitement at their common interest was adorable. He wanted to just kiss her or something, anything to show her affection, but she seemed way more excited about riding the ferris wheel, so that was the priority right now. There'd be time for kisses later.

"Come on, you." Mike pulled her along with him toward the line, as she shoved the last piece of cotton candy in her mouth.

It didn't take them long to make it to the front and into their own seat. They slid in right next to each other and were soon being lifted higher in the air.

El's favorite part of the ride finally came: when it stops moving and they (hopefully) get stuck at the top, which they did. She looked out at all the tiny people strolling around.

"It looks so different from back home. I can still see the lights throughout the city, but there's not nearly as many. It's still so pretty, though. Especially with the ocean."

Mike watched her as she spoke so sincerely. Her words were slowly fading away though, the result of her beauty thoroughly distracting him from everything else. Lights of all colors were shining on her angelic face, the ocean breeze slightly blowing strands of her hair out of place, and the slight upward curve of her lips making his own do the same. El stopped to take in more of the view around them, before speaking again.

"I've always loved ferris wheels for some reason. They just make me feel so much larger than everyone else, like I'm on top of the world and anything's possible. I know I probably sound dumb, but they're just so cool."

"El?" His voice shook just saying her name, his nerves already taking over. He had to tell her, he just had to. It may not be the right time, but he couldn't keep this to himself any longer. If he didn't tell her now, then he didn't know when he might get the courage too again.

"Yes?" El asked, looking at him in a way that made him turn to complete mush inside. That look definitely didn't help his nerves.

"I love you."

The words came out in more of a whisper, but it's all he could will himself to do. El lightly gasped, before she scooted closer and kissed him. She kissed him with more intensity than ever before and he gladly met her lips with his own ferocity. Their seat was slightly rocking, but neither of them seemed to notice. Being stuck this high up was the least of their worries right now, if they had even had any worries. It wasn't hard to tell that both Mike and El were entirely carefree in that moment.

"I love you, Mike." She softly spoke, the words full of so much emotion. Mike's breathing hitched hearing her say it back. He hadn't expected it to have such an effect on him, but hearing her actually say it out loud was surreal. He had never felt this strongly about anyone and those feelings somehow just grew even stronger, which is something he hadn't thought could be possible.

 

*** 

 

El rested her head on Mike's shoulder, feeling happier than ever. Given how happy she had been lately, she didn't think it could have conceivably gotten any better, but was she so wrong.

Her heart continued to beat frantically in her chest, feeling his soft hands repeatedly brush her arm. Her brain was still trying to process everything. She loved Mike, she knew that for awhile. Now, she knew that he felt the same way.

She loved Mike and he loved her right back. It was the best feeling in the world, to be truly loved by someone. She had never gotten the privilege of knowing that feeling and now that she had, it was unreal. She was also thankful that she hadn't because there was no way being loved by anyone else could compare to being loved by the curly headed cutie sitting next to her. 

_Now I have another reason to love ferris wheels..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was one of my favorite chapters, mainly because it was so easy to write. Anyways, we're nearing the last half of the book, which makes me sad, but also happy. I'm really loving writing this story with these characters and I hope you are too. Please let me know your thoughts!
> 
> Also just wanna say, I really appreciate all of you! I didn't expect to get as many readers as I've gotten, especially since I'm not the best writer, so thanks for making me feel loved. <3
> 
> Random note: I almost gave Troy & Steve the same last name, which probably wouldn't have mattered but would've been a major slip up because they're definitely not related in this. Troy is nowhere near wealthy, whereas Steve is supposed to be from a loaded family, which is why Mike's parents love him so much. I would've changed it but I had already used it for Troy in the story, so sorry Steve :( I stuck you with Billy's last name (who is nonexistent in this story) Okay, i'm done rambling now because this is so long it's annoying, bye!


	14. Chapter 14

It was the day of Nancy's wedding and there El was, having spent an embarrassing amount of time getting ready for it. She fully did her makeup, for what felt like the first time in forever, then took it all off, hating the way it looked. She re-did it, thankfully approving of her work that time. She spent an hour curling her hair, which didn't look as good as she'd hoped, but it was acceptable. She carefully slipped on her dress, which felt a tad bit tighter than when she had tried it on at the store.

As she stared at herself in the mirror, she had to admit that she did look pretty good. She turned every which way, making sure there were no flaws or anything she had missed. Once satisfied with her overall appearance, she slipped on her heels and was ready to go. 

"Okay, how do I look?" El's hesitant voice called, as she slowly stepped out from the bedroom.

"Holy shit!" Sara gasped, causing her dad to look disapprovingly at her. "Sorry! But look at her dad! She looks gorgeous!" Sara waved her arms in the air toward El, emphasizing her appearance.

"You do look wonderful," Jim said, his expression softening.

El breathed a sigh of relief, "Wonderful enough for a Wheeler wedding?"

"Absolutely!" He assured her, Sara backing him up with a frantic nod.  

"Alright, let's get going then girls. We have a fancy wedding to get you to!" Jim announced, leaving his comfy spot on the couch to get his things. Sara hopped off from her end of the couch, running to get her shoes on. El waited anxiously by the door, trying to control her unsteady breathing.

_God, why am I so nervous about a stupid wedding? Chill out._

After what felt like the longest car ride of her entire life, they were finally nearing the front of Mike's house. There were valets all over the place ready to park the guests' cars, most of them looking to be quite expensive. El's dad's car had to be sticking out like a sore thumb right now.

"So this is their house huh?" Jim mumbled from beside her, taking in just how big it was, especially compared to their tiny house.

"It's enormous!! I didn't know Mike was this rich?!?" Sara blurted out from the back seat. 

"He's not. His parents are." El corrected her, not really knowing why she felt the need to. It was really just out of habit. Their family had always pinned rich people as snobs and she didn't want Mike to be thought of that way. Sara loved Mike though, so her defending him was kinda pointless.

"Same thing, El." She argued, observing all the people walking around the front of the house.

"Well, I can see why they had the wedding here. This place is beautiful." Jim chimed in, sounding overly cheerful.

El nodded, now distractedly staring out the window. She hadn't made a move to get out of the car yet, she honestly didn't know if she could. Jim noticed this, then reached over to pat her leg. "Hey, don't be nervous. You'll have a great time. Just remember, if any of those snobs have a problem with you or your lovely dress, then screw em. You're amazing and anyone who doesn't see that is an idiot. Besides, Mike's opinion is the only one that should matter and I know he's going to love that you're here and he'll love the dress, probably a little too much."

"Thanks, dad." She leaned over to kiss his cheek, then pushed the door open, forcing herself to go while she had the smallest bit of willpower. "Bye!" 

El got out of the car, adjusting her dress in the process. She waved as their car drove away, before walking up the front staircase. About half way up, she stopped to take a look around the property. It felt so strange having all these people around. Usually, she's just here with Mike and no one else. It was decorated so beautifully though, with various types of flowers perfectly placed all around. Her favorites were the lilies delicately draped over the porch railings.

 

As she turned to walk up the rest of the way, the front door swung open. Mike walked out, looking like a much older, more sophisticated version of the boy she was so familiar with. He was wearing a dark blue tuxedo, accompanied by a bow-tie, with his hair being a bit more tamed than usual. He looked gorgeous, but that's no surprise.

Once he'd laid eyes on her, all Mike could do was stare as he came down toward her, which made her nervousness increase. Her brain started to list off all the things she could have somehow done wrong. Had she gotten there too early? Was her dress hideous? She could already feel the butterflies in her stomach start to flutter around, until Mike finally snapped out of it and began to smile.

"Wow." He breathed out, taking in her appearance once more. "You look stunning."

His words made all her worries fade away and she couldn't suppress the delighted grin on her face. "Really? It's not too much?"

Mike finally moved closer to her, placing his hands on her hips. "Definitely not."

"But it's not too little right?"

"It's just right." He almost whispered, lightly squeezing her sides, as he kissed her forehead.

El reached up, running her hands over his tux-clad chest. Her heels gave her the perfect advantage of not having to lean up as far to reach him, allowing her to tilt her head up and brush her lips against his. She pulled away, a rather impressed look taking over her features. "You don't look so bad yourself."

"Why, thank you." Mike smiled smugly, before removing his hands from her sides and pulling her along with him toward the door. "Come on, I want you to meet my sister before the ceremony starts!"

"Mike, I can't see her before the wedding?!"

"Of course you can, you're not the groom silly!" 

 

Mike led El through the house full of guests, greeting a few of them as they passed by. They came to a door at the end of the hallway, in a part of the house El hadn't been in before. He knocked, announcing who it was on the other side. The door immediately swung open, revealing a shorter girl, well shorter than Mike, in a floor length wedding dress. She hurried the two of them in the room, shutting the door behind them before anyone had caught a glimpse of her.

"Steve wasn't out there anywhere was he?? He can't see me before the wedding! I shouldn't have even opened the door for you." The girl frantically yelled at Mike. 

"Wow, okay. El, I think this is my sister, Nancy, but I'm not too sure at this point. And to whoever has taken over my sister's body, this is El." He introduced the two, El trying to stifle her giggles.

"Ha ha, very funny." The girl deadpanned, before giving El her full attention. Nancy smiled sweetly at her, as she pulled her in for a quick hug. "It's so nice to meet you! I've heard so much about you! Seriously, like so much. My brother here, doesn't seem to shut up about you, ever!" Nancy joked, playfully nudging Mike.

"It's nice to meet you too! You look so gorgeous by the way." El complimented. Her dress was beautiful, practically fit for a princess and the more she looked at Nancy, the more of a resemblance she saw between her and Mike. Their expressions were so similar with their lively eyes doing most of their talking, along with the same well defined jawline. 

"Oh, thank you so much!" Nancy gushed, placing a hand to her chest. "I'm so glad you got to come!"

"So am I, thank you for inviting me!" She was probably being overly nice right now, but she wanted to make a good impression on at least one member of Mike's family. Nancy seemed like the best option. She was also the only one left, so she had no choice but to charm the pants off the bride.

"Based off the way my brother talks about you, I have a feeling you'll be the next one we see in a wedding dress?" Nancy teased, knowingly raising her perfectly filled in eyebrows.

"Don't be ridiculous, Nancy." Karen scoffed from her spot in the room, making Nancy roll her eyes. "I guess we'll see then." Nancy muttered to El under her breath, then winked. She lifted the bottom of her dress, scurrying off to the other side of the room to grab her phone. 

"Alright, let me take a photo of you two!" She happily requested. Mike groaned, El did as well on the inside. It's not that they didn't want a picture together, they just didn't want a picture. Who likes pictures? "Come on, get together! I'm going to have the photographer take some of you guys too, so better get used to it!"

They did as Nancy wished though, Mike wrapping his arm around El's waist to pull her closer. She instinctively leaned into him, as they both smiled brightly for the photo.

"Wow, you guys are adorable. Maybe even more so than me and Steve. Mike, I approve of this relationship, like a whole lot." Nancy rambled, looking through the photos she had just taken of them.

"Glad someone in my family does." Mike spoke low enough for only El to hear, making her quietly shush him. "Thank you, Nancy. I'm glad you love my girlfriend. I happen to love her too."

None of them noticed Karen's rather appalled reaction at her son's mention of loving El, but then again, none of them would have cared. Nancy had already expressed her approval of their relationship and while Mike and El wished that his parents felt the same, their opinion wasn't going to change anything between the happy couple. 

 

*** 

 

The wedding ceremony was so elegant, El felt she had been transported into a Disney fairytale. It started with the small quartet playing a slow tune, as the bridesmaids, one by one, made their way down the aisle. El was a little embarrassed to even think about how happy she was that Mike didn't have to walk another girl down the aisle. It was a silly thought, but she simply couldn't help it. Mike had this effect on her brain that just throws out all rational thoughts and replaces them with completely nonsensical ones.

The song continued, until it transitioned into Pachelbel's "Canon in D." Nancy was escorted down the aisle by Ted, who happily gave his daughter away to her soon-to-be husband. The pastor read a few scriptures, then spoke his typical lines. El would be lying, though, if she said that she had paid her full attention to the bride and groom during the ceremony. Her eyes somehow kept wandering over to the boy three places down from them. Mike stood in his place, proudly watching his sister. El smiled, her eyes only leaving his face for a moment, before going right back. Mike would occasionally look over at her, feeling her gaze on him. He would shoot her an affectionate smile before looking back to the front. He really was loving all the attention she was giving him while there was a much more important thing happening at that moment.

Nancy and Steve eventually recited their vows to one another. El could tell that the two truly loved and cared for one another based on their words alone. Steve even shed a few tears during his vows, which took El by surprise. Nancy's groom seemed to be a very sensitive fellow (not that that was a bad thing). The couple then happily exchanged rings, said "I do" and sealed their union with a kiss.

After the ceremony had ended, all the guests were instructed to make their way to the reception area, while the wedding party took a few photos. El followed in with the crowd, wishing she knew at least one person here, so that she didn't have to stand alone until Mike had finished.

El made it to the secluded reception area in the backyard, which had been completely transformed from it's usual plain setting. She stood off to the side for quite awhile just watching everyone and taking it all in. There were fancy white chairs and tables scattered all around. Each table was decorated accordingly with everyone's name card in its assigned place, but that didn't apply to her. Lights with exquisite fixtures surrounding them had been strung above, for when it grew darker outside. There were multiple ice sculptures placed throughout the area, all of them heavily detailed. A dance floor had been also set up in the middle and music was already being played, leading some of the couples to join hands and start dancing. 

 

"You're almost out time sweetheart." El heard someone say from behind her. She turned around, facing who she had decided was her least favorite person.

"What?" El asked Stacey, with an exhausted sigh.

_Conversations with Stacey are just so much fun._

"You should have your fun now, because it's all about to end. He's going off to college soon and you're going back to the hole you crawled out of." Stacey had a more than pleased look on her face and El just wanted to slap it right off.

"Funny, I didn't know that our relationship was any of your business." El snapped, Stacey's satisfaction only growing more evident.

"Even if you two somehow manage to make a long distance thing work, his mother will never accept you." Stacey said, looking around carefully for a moment before speaking again. "You know, Nancy was engaged twice before this and Karen managed to run those two off. She'll do the same with you, no matter how tough you act."

El didn't say anything, not wanting to let the girl's words get to her, no matter how much they could potentially freak her out. She didn't want to start developing those fears that she managed to keep away all this time.

"Even if she doesn't, you're still leaving and so is he." Stacey shrugged, staring blankly at El. "There's no way you two will make it."

El was getting tired of this girl and had officially surpassed her limit. Who was she to voice her doubts about their relationship? Stacey had no right to do that, nor did she have a damn clue as to what she was talking about. El just couldn't keep her mouth shut anymore.

"Hey, Stacey," El said, sliding closer to her, "I'm going to tell you something and I want you to pay very close attention okay?" She took another step closer, until their faces were almost touching. "I don't like you, at all and Mike definitely doesn't like you. I know that you just spew out this stuff because you're jealous, but I'm getting so sick of listening to your childish bullshit. So, if you ever so much as utter one word to me again, I'm going to punch those bleached teeth right out of your mouth. Depending on my mood, though, I might even do much more than that. Understand?"

El's stone cold expression must have convinced Stacey that she truly meant every word, because the girl's face went pale. She immediately turned around, walking away without saying a thing.

 

"Hey, what was that about?" Mike had ran over to her after seeing the encounter with Stacey from afar, concern written all over his face "What did she say this time?"

El plastered a smile on her face, not wanting to upset Mike on such a special day.

"Nothing, everything's fine." She assured him. She had a feeling Stacey wouldn't be a problem anymore, so everything really was fine.

"Okay, if you say so." He reluctantly accepted, doubting her words, but let it go pretty quickly. "Oh, I do believe you owe me a dance now, Miss Hopper." Despite her disagreement, Mike pulled her toward an empty space on the dance floor, then placed his arms around her waist. Hers found their way around his neck, their bodies beginning to sway to the soft music.

They stayed like that for awhile, not really doing that much dancing, but enjoying being in each other's arms. They fell into a comfortable silence, El's head resting on his shoulder as the music played on around them. 

"You're a great dancer, you know that?" Mike told her, as he pulled back and gracefully spun her around, before bringing her body closer again.

"And you're a liar." El remarked, resting her forehead against his.

"You're also the prettiest girl here." He quietly spoke, looking deeply into her eyes.

"Oh, now I know you're lying." El leaned in, softly placing her lips against his. She tilted her head back, smiling affectionally at him. 

"I don't know what you're talking about, I only speak the truth." Mike swooped back in on her before she could say anything else, his mouth hungrily capturing hers. Warmth instantly radiated all throughout her body, a typical side effect from kissing Mike. Each felt the caress of their lips grow less and less softer as the seconds went by. 

The two seemed to be getting carried away, forgetting that they were surrounded by hundreds of people. El was the first to realize, quickly detaching her lips from his. Mike let out a disappointed grunt, before opening his eyes to see El looking at him questionably.   

"Hey, don't blame me! You're the one standing here looking all beautiful in this frilly purple dress. How do you expect me to not wanna make out with you??"

All El could do was laugh, before shaking her head at him and sighing. "I love you."

Mike delicately kissed her forehead, before returning them their "dancing" position. 

"I love you more."

 

***

 

Mike was soon whisked away by his mother to speak to some relatives, so El was once again left on her own. Her eyes scanned the area, mostly people watching. There were an insane amount of people here, which was to be expected. Almost everyone looked to be dressed in designer attire. Some women were clad with multiple accessories completely made up of diamonds. It was a sight to see, especially compared to the kinds of weddings El was used to, but she wouldn't want to live like these people. Well, not entirely like these people. Having tons of money would be nice...

She stopped her visual exploration after noticing a ponytail of bright red hair, on one of the catering staff members. Knowing who that hair belonged to, El politely pushed her way through the crowd of people, over to where the girl was.

"Hey, Max." El said, as she approached her, catching her off guard. Max whipped around, a bit surprised to see her, clutching on tightly to the tray she was holding.

"Oh, hey El."  She quietly spoke, feeling embarrassed of her previous behavior toward El. "Thank you for what you did. You didn't have to do that, especially after what I did to you and I just, I really appreciate it."

"Of course." El smiled.

"I left Troy. You were right, he's disgusting and I'm done with him for good. I also got this new job, as you can see." Max said, gesturing to the solid white uniform she was sporting. "So yeah, thank you and sorry for being a bitch and for the whole shoplifting thing. That was a really messed up thing to do." Max looked genuinely sorry, making El's recent generosity toward the girl all worth it.

"It's okay, let's just forget about it and start over?"

"I'd like that." Max smiled. "Well, I gotta get back to work before Mrs. Wheeler chews me out, but I'll see you around?"

El nodded, as she watched Max walk toward the tent covered area, where she assumed was strictly for the caterers.

 

Realizing that she was quite hungry, El grabbed a plate and joined in with the short line near the caterers tent. The food smelled incredible, she just hoped she could actually eat some of it.

_Knowing Karen, she probably changed the entire menu to strictly meat, just so I'll starve._

"Excuse me, is any of this vegetarian?" The worker looked over the table of entrees, informing her of the few dishes that were. The man made her plate, she thanked him, then looked for a place to eat her food. Most people had been assigned to a table, but since her invite was "so last minute," according to Karen, she just couldn't fit her in at any of the tables. Mike was pretty pissed, knowing she could've easily found a place for her, but El assured him it was fine. She would manage. 

 

El had found a place immediately. She sat at the bar, where most of the seats were empty. Those seats pretty much stayed empty the whole time, since the guests only came up to order their drinks, then leave. She was currently stuffing something she couldn't even bring to pronounce, in her mouth. Her plate was almost clear by now, but she never got the chance to finish what was left. She was distracted by an aggressive yelling, feeling a strong sense of deja vu take over.

"Troy, stop it! Just let me go!" El heard Max yell from the direction she'd gone off to earlier.  She dropped whatever was in her hand back onto her plate, running off toward the commotion. El turned the corner to see Troy pulling a resisting Max toward his truck.

"Hey, let her go!" El yelled at Troy as she approached the two, but was no help at all. Troy just grabbed onto Max tighter, pulling her closer to him.

"Oh look, it's you again, trying to save the day. How cute." It was obvious that Troy had been drinking, like most of the times El had been around him.

Max and Troy continued their dispute, Troy doing most of the yelling. El tried to intervene, but was only making the situation worse. A crowd was slowly beginning to gather near them, all in shock at the commotion someone had dared to caused at such an extravagant event. Thankfully, Mike soon came running over, instantly helping Max to get out of Troy's grasp and over to where El was standing. He stood protectively in front of the two, as Troy came closer.

"Troy, what are you doing here?"

"Why don't you just stay out of this rich boy?" Troy roughly shoved Mike back, causing him to knock El to the ground. He rushed to help her up, his anger only growing. 

"This is my sister's wedding you're crashing, on our property and you're telling me to stay out of it? You need to leave, right now!" Mike yelled, making Troy laugh.

"What? Am I not good enough to join the party?" He scoffed, feigning a wounded look.

"Go." Mike demanded, pointing toward Troy's truck.

Troy, of course, didn't listen. He clumsily swiped a glass of red wine from the table full of dirty dishes, slinging it on Max and El. This time, Mike shoved him back. Troy looked to be leaving then, but quickly snatched a rusted crowbar from the bed of his truck. He ran back up to the front, defensively holding it up toward Mike.

"Okay, okay!" Mike surrendered, his hands up in the air, not wanting to push Troy any further now that he had a potential weapon in his hand and was intoxicated enough to use it.

"I think I've changed my mind, I don't want Max, I want her!" Troy slurred, pointing at El. "She looks like she'd be fun to have around for the summer! Right, Mikey?"

Mike suddenly didn't care if the guy had a sharp metal object in his hand. The thought of him going after El or even looking at her again the way that he just did was enough to set him off. He plunged forward, tackling Troy to the ground, knocking the crowbar right out of his hand. Mike brought his arm back, his fist soon meeting Troy's face, repeatedly. Blood was starting to cover the boy's face, but Mike wasn't planning on letting up.

"Mike! Stop it!" El desperately screamed from behind him, not wanting him to get hurt, despite the lack of defense Troy was putting up against him. Mike hadn't gotten a scratch yet, just managed to get his clothes pretty filthy.

Karen, along with Ted, eventually joined them, after noticing all the people.Ted pulled his son off the badly beaten boy lying underneath him. Mike was reluctant at first, wanting nothing more than to continue beating the shit out of him. Then he saw El's panic-stricken face and his rage died down. Troy managed to pick himself up off the ground, hobbling over to his truck and leaving, finally.

"Mike, take the girls home. Just get them both out of here before you all cause anymore trouble." Karen demanded, before hurrying off to assure their guests the situation had been taken care of. El rushed over to Mike, her hands going to both of his cheeks, checking for any injuries.

"I'm okay." He breathed, the scared look in her eye diminishing. She wrapped her arms around him tightly, thankful that nothing worse had happened.

 

*** 

 

Mike and El were currently sitting in her driveway, not knowing what to say to each other after what had just happened. They hadn't really spoken much since they left his house. Everything had gone great and then it all went to shit. That whole incident was, in a way, both of their faults. They knew it was, no point in trying to excuse that. They probably ruined Nancy's wedding and nothing could make up for that.

"Well, I think I finally won your mom over." El sarcastically spoke, breaking their silence. She turned her head to look at Mike, the both of them busting out into a delirious laughter.

"You definitely won Nancy over, that's for sure." Mike smiled, pleased that the two had hit it off so well.

"I really like her. She's not at all what I expected, though. You said she was like your mom and she definitely wasn't." El was thankful that she wasn't, one Karen Wheeler was more than enough to have to deal with.

"Trust me, she usually is. Guess she liked you enough that you get the good version of her. Consider yourself lucky."

"HEY!" A shrill voice screamed, as the person responsible for it banged on the passenger side window. The interruption scared the shit out of both of them, El's body jumped while Mike let out a girly shriek. "Oh my God!"

"Dad thinks the sea turtles are about to hatch! Come on!" Sara's muffled voiced yelled from outside the truck, not caring that she had snuck up on them. Mike and El climbed out, their disheveled appearances immediately catching her eye. "Geez, what happened to you two?"

"Long story." El sighed, before running off down the walkway toward the beach, the other two close behind.   


After about five minutes of waiting, the first egg finally began to crack, the others following right behind. Each turtle managed to break free from the egg, crawling over one another, in attempt to claw their way out the nest. They had all successfully managed to find their way out, heading straight for the ocean. Their movements were slow at first, but grew stronger as the seconds passed by. It was such an incredible thing to witness. The turtles were so tiny, yet somehow found the strength to make it from their nest to the water.

Jim had brought out two flashlights, which Mike and Sara had been shining down on the sand. Mike had said that the light would help them find their way a little easier and it was proving to be working. They followed the trail of light as best as their little bodies could.

"I'm gonna go grab more flashlights!" Jim called, before going back toward the house. El bent down, gently moving one of the turtles with her finger. It quickly fled from her unfamiliar touch. She felt immensely gratified to have played a small part in their life, that some of these creatures were now crawling their way to the ocean because of her. If she hadn't protected their nest or reported it to the aquarium, the raccoons might have consumed every single one of those eggs and they wouldn't have even been given a chance. 

  
The sound of coughing met each of their ears, but none of them paid it any mind until it got excessively worse. El looked back to find her dad, hunched over in the sand, before going completely limp.

"Dad!" She shrieked, immediately running toward him. Sara and Mike followed quickly behind. The sea turtles now forgotten as the waves rolled in, washing them out further from the shore.

El fell to the sand beside him, searching for any sign of consciousness.

"Dad? Can you hear me??"

Her hands felt around for a pulse, which she thankfully found, but Jim still wasn't responding, no matter how much El shook his body. The three surrounding him were trying anything they could, but it was no use. Nothing was working.

Something was terribly wrong. 

"Mike, call 911!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi friends, hope you enjoyed this chapter! Lots of things happened & lots of things will continue to happen (;
> 
> (Also, changed my user but you can guys can obviously read, so I'm sure you didn't need me to tell you that... bye!)


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for this crap excuse of chapter you're about to read... <3

"No. No, this can't be right! It has to be some kind of mistake!" El shook her head, looking wildly at her dad, who was currently reclined on a hospital bed, hooked up to so many machines she lost count. She paced the floor of the small room, her feet unable to stop moving.

_This can't be true, it just can't._

"It's not a mistake, El." Jim grabbed her hand, squeezing it as much as his tired body could. "I'm so sorry, I never wanted you to find out this way."

"Then when exactly were you planning on telling us??" She desperately cried, ripping her hand from his.

It suddenly all made sense to her why they were forced to come here for the summer. Her mom was so adamant about it and now she knew why. All the signs of her dad's growing weaknesses were there and she just now pieced them all together, seeing the much bigger, unsettling picture.

"I don't know." He sighed, his eyes bouncing back and forth between her and his hands resting on his stomach.

"Were you gonna tell us before we went back to New York? After?? On the freaking phone??" Jim knew that nothing he could say would calm her down, so he just kept quiet. "What were you going to say dad?? ' _Oh sorry I just forgot to mention that I have terminal cancer, but hope you had a safe flight home!?_ '"

Her voice was booming at this point, attracting attention from just about everyone who passed by his room. Jim's nurse had even ran in at one point, panicking over all the commotion. He quickly waved her off given that nothing was actually wrong. His daughter was just upset and had a grand way of showing it.

"Is that why you wanted us down here, so we could just watch you die??"

"No, kid. I wanted you here, so I could watch you live." His eyes begged hers to understand, to not hate him for this. They had taken a great turn in their relationship this summer and he didn't want to ruin that. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her. "I didn't tell you because I didn't want our time together to be about my illness."

"Well, it is now dad!" El cried, her face full of mixed emotions. She was mad, oh was she mad. Confusion running around her mind over how he could keep something like this from them. She was also upset and completely in shock over this terrible news, as anyone would be. Her dad was dying, how do you even being to process that? 

"It's going to be okay El." Jim sighed, trying to remain positive, even though it wouldn't help their particular situation much.

"No! Nothing about this is okay!" She angrily folded her arms across her chest, but then threw them up in the air. "You're dying, nothing is even remotely okay about that."

She stood her ground for a moment, but then more tears fell and she was instantly at his side. She wedged her way on the side of his bed, carefully wrapping her arm around him. He hugged her back tightly, as she snuggled further into his chest. She could feel the bones in his chest, emphasizing just how thin he had gotten. She hadn't even noticed it before. He was wasting away in front of her very eyes this whole time. 

_God, I'm such an idiot. It was all right there in front of me and I still managed to look right past it._

 

El was devastated. The longer she held on to him, the worse she felt. All she thought about was how she'd never get to do this once he was gone. Her dad was going to leave her again, but for good this time. He'd never see Sara grow up, never walk El down the aisle on her wedding day, never get to be a grandpa to her future children, never do anything with her or Sara ever again. He'd be gone and there was not a single thing she could do about it.

"I'm so sorry." His voice broke, the sounds of her crying becoming more intense. It hurt him more to see her this way than any of the physical pain he had to endure from his illness.

 

***

 

Mike sat with Sara in the waiting room, the both of them a nervous wreck. They had no clue was was going on with Jim and El had been in the room with him for quite awhile now. He tried to console Sara, but she didn't want to do much talking. She was scared, so scared and just wanted to see her dad.

She perked up seeing El come around the corner. Mike couldn't help but notice how tired El looked, the bags under her eyes more prominent, her black eye makeup smeared down her cheeks from all the crying she'd done. Her hair was a mess, the curls sticking out in all directions. She slowly walked over to them, lazily carrying her heels in hand. Since they had rushed here after the ambulance came, they were both still in their wedding clothes. Her attire had attracted attention from a few of the others waiting, but they knew better than to judge.

"You can go see him now Sara." She weakly told her sister, leading her out of the waiting room. Mike followed behind. "His room is at the end of the hall, room 315." 

El leaned against the wall, watching as Sara went down the hallway. Once she had made it to Jim's room and was out of sight, El went straight into Mike's arms, a fresh batch of tears flowing down her cheeks.

"He's dying Mike." He heard her muffled voice speak against his chest. He felt his heart jump, the news sucking the air right out of his lungs. Jim was dying?? How can this be happening? "He has cancer. He’s had it this entire time.” 

"God, I'm so so sorry." He pulled back for a moment, tilting her head up and placing both of his hands softly on her damp cheeks. "What can I do?"

"Can you just hold me?" Her weak voice croaked, the look on her face breaking Mike's heart to pieces. He didn't say another word, just held her close, wrapping his arms around her protectively. He would hold her for as long as she needed.

And that's what he did.

The two sat in the waiting room while Sara was with Jim. They didn't say a word, but there wasn't really anything needed to be said. Mike held El tightly in his warm embrace, her head resting against his chest.   


Sara took the news just as you'd expect a nine year old to. Her tears hadn't stopped since she walked in that hospital room. As soon as Jim had told her, she clung to him with every ounce of strength she had. Mike and El eventually heard her cries from all the way down the hall. To say it was difficult to listen to would be an understatement. Mike held El tighter, seeing as they had no choice but to listen to it, trying to provide her with as much comfort as possible.

After a few minutes had passed, Mike felt El's steady breathing on his neck, realizing she had fallen asleep. He didn't wake her, wanting her to get as much rest as she could. He knew that she wouldn't be getting much sleep from this point on. 

El stirred awake about 20 minutes later, her head popping up from its place against Mike's chest. It took her a second to come to, her spontaneous nap causing her to feel a bit disoriented.

"Is she still in there with him?" El groggily asked from beside him, her voice shifting into a yawn. Mike nodded, his neck a bit stiff from where it had been resting against the wall behind them.

El sighed exhaustedly, getting up from her chair as she wiped the tiredness from her eyes. "I'm going to stay here for a little bit longer, see what the doctors have to say about his tests. Would you mind taking Sara home and staying with her until I get back? I know she's gonna need some time to process all this and she can't do that in this depressing place."

"I don't mind at all." Mike assured her, more than willing to do anything she asked of him.

"Thanks, I love you, Mike." El smiled for moment, before her expression went dismal again.

Mike took her hands in his, gently squeezing them. "I love you, so much. And I'm here for you, always." El stared down at their entwined hands, her eyes closing for moment.

"Promise you'll never leave me?" Her gaze was still locked on their hands. Mike stared up at her, wishing she would look at at him.

"I promise. I'll never leave you, even if it's you who's begging me to go."

El's eyes instantly shot up to meet his. "That'll never happen." Her voice was so full of certainty, like what he had just said was the most bizarre words for someone to speak. He felt the same though, the thought of ever telling her to go seeming like such a mundane thought.

The two shared a short, but just as meaningful kiss, before El disappeared down the hall to retrieve her sister. Mike followed behind, but stayed out in the hallway.

They both knew Sara wouldn't want to go, but she needed to. The doctors were coming back with test results and most likely, an estimate of how much time their dad had left with them. Sara couldn't handle that information right now.

 

"Mike's gonna take you home and stay with you until I get back okay?" El kindly told her, afraid of her reaction.

Sara didn't protest, just weakly nodded, her eyes never leaving the floor. She hugged her dad again, telling him she loved him, before joining Mike out in the hall. El stopped in the doorway to say her goodbyes to Mike. "I'm sure I won't be too long. I'll just call a cab or something to get back to the house."

"Oh, no need. When we got here earlier, I asked Lucas and another guy from work to drop off one of the trucks from the shop. I wasn't sure what you wanted to do after, so I figured having an extra vehicle wouldn't hurt. I'll take that one, you can drive my truck." Mike grabbed his keys from his pocket, placing them in El's hand.

"You're amazing, thank you."

Mike smiled, leaning down to kiss her cheek. “See you later."   


Mike and Sara somehow found their way out of the maze-like building and to the truck that Lucas dropped off for them. Mike was actually really surprised he had done this for him. Lucas had been so pissed off with him lately, he figured he'd just hang up the second Mike had asked for the favor. He actually sounded concerned, assuring Mike that he'd bring the truck over right away.

_Maybe Lucas does have a decent conscience in there after all._

As they drove through town, Mike couldn’t ignore the insistent growling of his stomach. He hadn't eaten since the wedding and even then, all he had were a few of the appetizers. "Hey, you hungry? I'm gonna stop and get some food. I know there's a few places still open. You want anything?" 

Sara mumbled a simple "no," laying her head against the window. Mike looked to her with a sympathetic smile, knowing she must be hurting inside.  

"Sara, I know you don’t want to talk about it right now, but when you do, you can always come to me okay?"

She lifted her head from its place against the window, looking at him nervously.

"Okay."

Mike didn't say anything else, knowing there was no way she was in the mood for conversation. He whipped in a drive thru to get his food, then drove the rest of the way, with only the low hum of the music playing in the background.

 

As soon as they pulled in the driveway, Sara wasted no time getting out of the truck and running in the house. Mike took his time going in, not wanting his presence to smother her. She didn't need someone watching her every move, especially not him. He did check up on her though, just to make sure she was okay.

He found her in Jim's bedroom, curled up under his covers.

"I'm sleeping in here tonight and you can't tell me not to. El can't either."

"I don't think either of us would tell you that you couldn't." Mike quipped, knowing just how stubborn she was. "I'll be here if you need anything okay?"

"Okay, night." Sara rolled over to face the other side of the room, pulling the covers as tightly around her little body as possible.

"Night," he called back before shutting the bedroom door behind him. He made his way back through the house, grabbing the bag of food on the way to the front porch. He didn't feel like sitting inside, afraid he might fall asleep if he did. He needed to stay awake until El got back, so he figured sitting outside might help.

Even though the sound of the waves was awfully soothing, the moon was so bright, as was the porch light, that he couldn't go to sleep out there even if he tried.

He went over to the front of the porch, nearest to the ocean. Watching the waves roll in was so calming. After the hectic, long day they had, this moment of peace and quiet felt kind of odd. It also felt kind of wrong for him to enjoy it with all the shit happening around him.

Mike felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, reminding him that the thing existed. He hadn't even looked at it since he had called Lucas and that was hours ago.

The first thing he saw when the screen came to life was fifteen missed calls from his mom.

_Fifteen? Jesus._

The last one was from ten minutes ago, so he figured she'd still be awake for him to call her back. He pressed the call button under her contact, it only ringing once before she picked up.

"Mike, oh thank God! It's past midnight and I've been calling you nonstop. Where are you?? I was so worried something else had happened between you and that Harrington boy! Tell me nothing else happened?!"

"Nothing else happened with Troy. I stayed for a bit after I dropped El off, then something happened with her dad and we had to go to the hospital. El had to stay a little longer, so I'm at their house now with her little sister."

"Honey, I don't see how that's your problem, it's late. You should be getting home."

"You don't see how that's my problem?? Mom, she's my girlfriend." Mike hissed through the phone. His mother was unbelievable.

"Oh yes, I'm well aware of that. But-"

"Just stop it! I really don't care to hear any of this. El is my girlfriend and I love her, you're just going to have to accept that." The only thing that came from the other end was silence, so Mike went on. "Look, her dad has to stay in the hospital for awhile and I'm pretty sure they're not going to want to be alone, so I'll most likely be staying with them."

"No you're not, absolutely not. I don't want you-" The volume of Karen's voice was increasing by the second as she tried to assert her authority, but Mike interrupted again anyway.

"I don't care what you want. They both need me and I'll stay with them for as long as I have to. I'll probably come by and get some clothes sometime, but I'm sure you won't be home when I do so... If you happen to need me for anything, just call. If I don't answer, then you know where I'll be. I gotta go, bye." Mike hung up before she could say anything else. He figured she would at least have some compassion for El and Sara, but she had none. The more that he thought about it, the more he wasn't surprised at all.

Mike sat down on one of the chairs, resting his feet up on another. It had been one long, eventful day and he was ready for it to be over. Technically it was already over, but since he hadn't gone to sleep yet, it just kept dragging on.

He grabbed his bag of food, dumping the contents out on the table. He had gotten a cheeseburger and fries, ready to devour all of it. His hunger had only grown worse and if he didn't get some food in him now, he was gonna pass out.

As usual, when he ate a cheeseburger, all he could think of was the time he and El had first went to the diner together. He had told her he would become vegetarian and meant it, he really did.

Too bad that only lasted for a solid three days before he caved. He was just too far gone on the meat train to get off.

He smiled to himself, thinking about that date. He had called her his girlfriend on that date just to piss off Stacey, not knowing she would become his real girlfriend much sooner than he had expected. She was much more than the silly title of a "girlfriend" though. She was everything to him and his everything was about to experience the worst heartbreak of her life.

He just hoped that all the comfort and support he could give her would be enough. 

After all his food was long gone, he had managed to doze off. Guess when you're as tired as he was, bright lights don't stand a chance. His own snoring woke him up not too long after. Not having anything else to do, he checked his phone, seeing that it had only been about forty-five minutes. He also had received a text from El while he was sleeping, saying that she was about to leave the hospital and head home. As if it were on cue, Mike saw headlights wipe across the front of the house as a vehicle pulled in the driveway. He cleaned up all his trash, then moved to the front of the porch to wait for El to come up. 

El soon came trudging up the front steps, her tired demeanor brightening up a bit after spotting Mike at the top of the steps.

"Hey, thanks for staying. You can go if you want, I'm sure you're exhausted." She sounded so guilty, like she had asked too much of him. Mike wished she wouldn't feel that way. She didn't need to feel bad about anything, especially not this.

"No, no way I'm leaving you two here alone. I'm staying." His insisting was out of complete love and care, but hearing the harsh tone in his own voice kind of felt like too much. He needed to tone it down a bit.

"I mean, only if that's okay with you?"

El jumped forward to close the short distance between them, wrapping her arms around him. "I feel like I've said this a million times today, but thank you, Mike. Really, I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Can you just stay here forever?" She joked, the movements caused by her laughing could be felt by Mike, since their chests were pressed against each other.

"Well, I kinda already told my mom I was so you're in luck."

"Oh she definitely hates me now." She sardonically remarked, rolling her eyes at the thought of Karen's reaction. 

"Good thing we don't value her opinions then." Mike pointed out, meaning every word.

_Fuck what that woman thinks._

"Alright..." Mike started, as he pulled out of her embrace. "As beautiful as you look in it, you need to get out of this dress before it becomes a permanent part of your body."

El looked down at the dress, then back to Mike with a grimace. “I never wanna wear this thing again." 

They quietly went in the house, straight to the bedroom. El walked over to her dresser to get a change of clothes, while Mike sat down on her bed.

"Where's Sara?" Her heard her ask, after she had noticed her presence missing from the room.

"She wanted to sleep in your dad's bed, figured it was alright." Mike shrugged, leaning back against the headboard.  "She insisted on it, so there wasn't much I could do to stop her."

"Oh, no it's okay." El assured him, continuing her search for some clothes to sleep in. Once she had found all she needed, she walked toward the door. "I'm gonna go change and then I'll check on her. I'll be back." Before leaving, she turned back around, strictly pointing her finger at him. "Don't you go anywhere."

Mike tilted his head to the side, then raised his own finger, gesturing for her to come over to him. She slowly moved closer to him, even though she wasn't sure what for. He raised himself up a bit so he could reach her, then planted a kiss on her cheek. 

"I wouldn't dare."

 

***

 

El came back to the room as Mike was unbuttoning his dress shirt. He had ditched the jacket at the wedding, but had still been stuck in this stuffy button up for too long.

Finally, he could take the thing off.

"Uh, you mind if I..." He gestured to the bottom half of his body, wanting to take his pants off. They would have been impossible for him to sleep in.

"No, go ahead." El turned her head back, eyeing him comically, while going to put her dress in the closet. "I can handle you in your underwear, Mike."

"Sure, but can you handle yourself sleeping with me in my underwear." He pulled his pants off, but not as smoothly as he was going for. He almost fell over when his left foot got stuck. He just looked like a complete dork. He irritatedly threw the pants on the floor, leaving him with a pair of boxers on.

El laughed, from where she stood across the room, finding his failed attempt at being "smooth" hilarious. "Look, that's what you get for acting like a thirteen year old boy."

"Ha ha." He deadpanned before hopping in her bed, making himself comfortable. He watched as El pulled her hair up, then took what little makeup was left off of her face. She switched the light off, then crawled into bed with him.

"Jesus, you're freezing!" She hissed, after feeling the lack of body heat he was giving off.

"Well warm me up then!"

El cuddled closer, despite how cold he was. Mike took her in his arms, holding her against him. Unlike him, she was warm and he could feel the heat radiating off her body. All he could think about was how he had once felt her smile was the main source of that warmth. Turns out it was just  _her_.

Meanwhile, El was trying not to think about the fact that the only thing separating her from his naked body was a thin pair of boxers. Now was definitely not the time for that... right? 

 

"So, what did the doctors say?" Mike hesitantly asked, afraid to know the answer. El was thankful for the question, bringing her out of her silly thoughts, but also not, because it only reminded her of the inevitable.

"They said he only has about 2 months left, at the most. It could be way less than that, they can't say for sure." He could practically feel the gloom seeping its way back into her. He probably shouldn't have ruined their somewhat happy mood from before, but they had to talk about this at some point.

"I can't believe this is happening, Mike. Out of all people, why did he have to be the one to get cancer? Why does he have to die? He doesn't deserve this."

Mike couldn't bring himself to say anything, the feeling of her fingertips running so delicately along his bare chest taking away his ability to form any words. (You'd think he would be used to her effect on him by now.)

El seemed to be thinking out loud, so his reply wasn't that important right now anyways. Before he even had time to reply, she spoke again.

"I can't stop thinking about how mean I was to him and how he didn't even deserve it. Now he's gonna die and I can't ever get that time back."

Mike shifted his position so that he could look at her. Thankfully the moon was so bright, it shined though the window just enough so he could see her pretty face.

He had something to say now and she needed to hear it. "You didn't know the truth of what happened, he knows you never would've acted that way if you did. You can't keep feeling guilty for this."

El had called Mike the night she learned of her mother's escapade and what truly happened between her parents. She was devastated and while he did his best to console her, it didn't seem to help much then. And even now, she still felt the pressing guilt and he wished he could take it all away.

"Still, I wasted so much time..." 

"Hey, you may not can get that time back, but you still have time left now."

"Not much."

"It's still time, though, El." Mike brought his left hand up, running his thumb across her cheek. "Don't waste it on thinking about the past."

El let out a long breath. "You're right. I can't be worried about the past. There's no time for that." She opened her mouth to continue, but a yawn interrupted her.

"How about we talk more about all this tomorrow? We've had an extremely long day and need to sleep."

El reached up to move his hand from her face, entwining it with her own. She placed a momentary kiss to the top of his hand. "That sounds like a perfect idea." 

Their bodies shuffled around until they were comfy enough that they could go to sleep. It didn’t take much to get situated, because they were both so tired it was ridiculous. El let her eyes finally shut, as did Mike. 

Too bad the sleep they so desperately craved was disrupted when it had only just begun. 

This night just didn't want to end. 

 

The sound of something crashing loudly to the ground made El jump, in Mike's embrace, startling him even more. They both heard it though, immediately looking to one another in alarm. 

"What the hell was that?" El whispered when they heard it again, her heart starting to race faster at the thought of what it could have been. 

"I don't know, I'll go check." Mike untangled himself from El so that he could get up, but her hand reached out to stop him. 

"Wait, I'm coming with you." 

They cautiously followed the noise that seemed to get louder each time they heard it. It led them to the shed, where the door was left wide open. Mike was in front of El, just in case it was something dangerous. She was perfectly fine with that idea. There was no telling who or what was in there and whether it would hurt them or not. 

Only it wasn't a threat at all, just their favorite kid standing on a workbench in her pajamas. El rushed past Mike after seeing who had been the cause of all the ruckus. 

"Sara?? What are you doing out here?" El asked, panic taking over her entire body as she noticed blood on her sister’s hands and her excessively tear stained cheeks. 

"I woke up and couldn't go back to sleep. So I came out here to work on the windows for dad, but I can't find the right tools." Sara cried, angrily. "I also cut my finger and I'm too short to reach everything I need!! Every time I try and get something down, I just knock more stuff off!" Sara jumped up, trying to get something off the top shelf, but ended up hitting her uninjured hand on something sharp. "OW!!"

"Hey, come on. Get down from there." El rushed over to her, helping her down from where she stood on the bench. "You're going to hurt yourself even worse! You're already bleeding!" 

"I don't care!! I have to finish these!! Dad wanted to finish them, so I have to!"

"It's late Sara. You need to be in bed."

"No, no El! You don't understand! I was with him everyday, every single day. While you were out with your boyfriend or dealing with stupid sea turtles, I was here, working on these with him. It's important to him and I have to finish them before he-" Her screaming was cut off by the frantic crying taking over. El tried to console her, but her cries only got worse.

"What if I help you?" Mike intervened, trying to help calm her down.

"You don't know how to do any of it!"

"Well then teach me. I'm a fast learner." He tried to convince her, while moving closer from his spot in the doorway. "Besides, you can get them done quicker if you have an extra set of hands."

Sara looking to be pondering over the idea, before she loudly sniffed her nose, wiping it on her sleeve.

"Okay, but you have to listen to everything I say. Otherwise, you'll mess something up and we have no time for screw ups."

"Sir, yes sir." Mike saluted her, making her frown tilt up into a hint of smile.

El exchanged a brief look with Mike, silently thanking him for helping calm her down.

"Alright drill sergeant, your work can start first thing tomorrow. Right now, we need to get this wound of yours tended to." El grabbed Sara's hand, leading her out of the shop. "Come on, let's get you cleaned up and back in bed."

Mike trailed behind them, after making sure the shed was closed up. 

 

The three tucked themselves into bed for the second time that night. Only this time, they were lucky enough to drift off into a deep sleep that even the loudest bump in the night couldn't wake them from.

 

***

 

_2 WEEKS LATER_

El had been spending a majority of her time the last few weeks at the hospital with Jim. His doctor felt he could receive the best care under their supervision, so he was encouraged to stay there until the end. El didn't see the point of him staying there if there was nothing they could do to help him, but didn't argue. If that's what he wanted, then that's what he got.

El came home from the hospital every day happier than one would expect. While the distress of the whole ordeal was still present, Mike could tell she was doing her best to remain positive. Each night, as they cuddled in her bed, she'd tell him stories of her time spent with her father. 

Some days they would play card games, El going easy on her dad, even though he insisted that she didn't. Other days, they would take short walks around outside, having conversations they both yearned to have. She seemed to be making the best of it, using as much of their time together as possible to make up for all the years lost. 

Mike didn't mind El being gone. He wanted her to be with her dad as much as she could. Even though he had gotten so used to her being with him all the time, he knew this was far more important. Besides, there would be plenty of time for them later. 

Sara would go with El for a few hours, every other day, but seeing her dad in such a fragile state really took a toll on her. She could only be around him for so long, before she broke down into a frantic fit of tears, begging him not to go.

 

Mike had been spending his days with the youngest Hopper, helping her finish the windows. She had to show him the ropes on how to assemble everything, but he caught on quick.

The duo had been working diligently, spending every minute they could in the shed. Mike couldn't complain for a second about the task that now took up all his time. He was more than happy to help, the happiness Sara showed the closer they got to finishing making it all worth it. 

They were currently working on the last window, the two having fallen into a pleasant silence while they worked. The silence didn't seem to last long. Despite Sara's devastation over her dad, she quickly got her talkative nature back.

  


"Are you and El going to be together forever?" Sara casually asked out of nowhere. He lifted his head to look at her, a little bit surprised at the particular question, but her attention was still on the glass in front of her. 

"I hope so." He replied truthfully, because he really did hope that they would. 

"You guys really love each other huh? Like in the fairytales? True love." This time she did look up at him, with a grin that held so much amazement over the thought. 

Mike smiled to himself, thinking that the love he felt for her was definitely something of the sort. "Yeah, we do." Mike bopped her on the tip of her nose, her immediately crinkling it in response. 

"So when you two get married, will you be like my brother?" 

Mike pretended to be shocked, throwing his hand on his chest. “I thought I already was!"

Sara giggled, shrugging her shoulders playfully. 

"Yes, I will be like your brother, well your brother-in-law. Same thing."

"Sweet!" She cheered with a fist pump." I've always wanted a brother."

Mike could't help but find her excitement over the possibility to be adorable. He copied her motions, doing his own vigorous fist pump. "Well, now you got one!"

Mike had grown to love that kid as if she were his own sister and he hated that she was having to go through losing her dad at such a young age. He lost his grandfather at about her age, so he understood how hard it was for her. He knew she could get through it though, she was strong kid. And if she couldn't, then he'd be there for her.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wanna say that I hated this chapter more than any other chapter I've written. Idk why, but it was so hard to write and I was bored the entire time. (This has been my longest chapter so far though and idk how that even happened??) I wanted to just scrap the whole thing and start over, but that would have taken me too long. It probably would've came out much worse the second time around anyways. I can only hope you found it to be somewhat better than I did! See ya soon!


	16. Chapter 16

El hadn't been getting much sleep since the bomb dropped about her dad's sickness. She was constantly worrying about him and what was going to happen when he was gone. She didn't know if she could handle losing him or if Sara could. It was all taking a toll on her, as much as she tried not to let it.

Visiting him so often at the hospital helped ease her worrying, but once she came home and everything got quiet, the worries came back.

Mike was a great distraction for her, making her laugh and feel genuine moments of happiness. Eventually though, he had to fall asleep or leave and she was left alone with her thoughts, once again.   
  


"Good morning, how are you feeling?" Mike asked from his place at the kitchen table, when he noticed her presence.

"A little better." El concluded, through a yawn. "I actually got more sleep last night than usual."

"Good!" He softly cheered, then lifted a plate from the table. "I made you breakfast."

El smiled weakly, still feeling a little drowsy. She kissed his cheek to show her thanks, then took a seat at the table. Mike reached for the coffee pot behind him, considerately pouring some in her mug.

"So, I'm supposed to go into work today, but I'm probably just gonna call out."

"No, you can go if you need to." She really didn't want Mike to abandon all his responsibilities just to stay with her. She knew he would do just that if he had to and while it was incredibly sweet, she couldn't let him do that.

"I'm not gonna leave you here alone. Surely my dad will understand and let me take off for the day."

He wasn't gonna budge, she could already tell. She still kept trying to assure him it would be okay. "We'll be fine on our own, you really don't have to do that."

"Yeah, I do." He was so sure of it, which was what she had expected. Only now, she was a little irritated. Why? She didn't really know. She just wanted him to listen to her and he wasn't.

"You know you can't fix this Mike." The sudden sharpness in her voice took him by surprise.

"What? Fix what?" She knew he had no clue what she was going on about, only increasing her frustration.

"You think you being here all the time is just gonna make me feel better?? That it's gonna make me forget all about the fact that my dad is dying!"

"I don't think that." He quickly denied, his head shaking back and forth.

"Yes you do! You keep treating me like I'm made of glass or something, like I could break at any moment if you left me alone here." El had tears in eyes, due to her emotions running haywire. She didn't know whether she wanted to scream or cry.

Mike took one of her hands in his own, clasping on tightly. "I'm just trying to be here for you, that's all."

El pulled her hand from his, shooting up from her chair. "Well I don't need you here, just go home!"

Mike didn't move an inch. He just sat there, staring at her as if he knew she would snap out of it at any moment. "I said go home!"

He could tell she didn't really mean it. He knew her well enough to know when she was being truthful and the look in her eye confirmed his thoughts. She wasn't mad at him specifically, nor did she want him to go. She was just mad at the world and all the shit it was putting her through. He was the only one for her to take it out on, but he didn't mind. That's what he was here for.

He didn't want to upset her anymore, so he figured that him leaving for a few hours would give her time to calm down. "I'll go if that's what you really want, El, I will."

Mike got up, heading straight out of the room to leave. He could hear her start to cry, until a short gasp came out. El grabbed on to his arm from behind, stopping him from going anywhere.

"No, please don't go." Mike turned back around, in just enough time to open his arms for her. She clung to him, as she let out all of her suppressed tears. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean that stuff I said. I'm just-"

"I know and it's okay, you don't have to say anything else." He held her close, delicately kissing her temple to help calm her down. Her grip on him only tightened, the longer they stood there.

"I really don't know what I'd do if you weren't here, I just don't want you to put your life on hold because of me."

Mike had no choice but to pull away from her. He gently took her damp face in his hands, so that she would look at him and hear what he had to say.

"Don't you think that okay? I'm doing all of these things because I care about you. It's not putting anything in my life "on hold." Not at all, so don't feel like you're an inconvenience to me."

El forced a smile, still feeling like she was tying him down. He had been spending almost all of his time with her and Sara, taking care of the both of them. How could he not be tired of it by now??

"Besides, it's kind of hard for you to put my life on hold, when really, ** _you_** are my life." Mike had a shit eating grin on his face, already knowing what her reaction would be.

Her distinct frown shot up into playful grin. "That was so cheesy, Mike."

"What can I say? I am a cliche." He shrugged his shoulders carelessly, causing an uncontrollable giggle to slip from El's mouth. She resumed her previous position, comfortably wrapped in the warmth of his arms.

 

And just like that, everything was okay again.

Well, as okay as it could be.   
  
  


After breakfast, Mike, El, and Sara went out to the beach for a breather. They had been cooped in the house, the shed, or the hospital for weeks now. They all needed some time away from everything.

El wasn't going to the hospital until later in the evening, so they had plenty of hours to fill. She needed this time to relax, especially with all the sleep she had been missing out on.

The glorious view, accompanied by the sounds of the waves would definitely help calm her down. 

El laid out on one of their chairs for a bit. While it was relaxing, she had stayed down so long that she was starting to feel stiff. Needing to move around some, she pulled Mike along with her and the two casually wandered down the shore, while Sara splashed around in the water nearby. The couple's hands were clasped together, as usual. They tended to always have some part of their bodies touching, like they needed that connection to function properly.

"Have you talked to Lucas lately?" El asked him, the thought occurring to her that he hadn't mentioned him in awhile. She knew things had been tense between them, but he didn't say much about the reason why. She couldn't help feel like it was her fault, but Mike had assured her many times that it wasn't.

"Nope, not since he brought the truck to the hospital that night. And even then, there wasn't much talking. It's fine though. He's just being a child."

She had figured since Lucas did that for him, they would be on better terms, but that wasn't the case. El didn't press him any further on it, knowing how upset he was about their falling out. Even if he didn't want to show it.

"Hey, speaking of friends, why don't you ever talk about yours?"

Oh. Her friends. She had forgotten they even existed. Now that he had brought them up, she realized that she did miss them. Mike seemed to be filling their void pretty well, considering this is the first time in awhile that she had thought about them.

And of course, she missed Will.

"I have told you about them."

"You've only told me about Will. So do you only have one friend? I mean, if you acted the way you did when we first met, then I can see why you'd only have one." He glanced over at her, trying to contain the laughter at his own comment, that he found to be quite funny.

El gasped, her frozen expression morphing into a coy smile. "You are so mean!"

"I'm only kidding." He gently laughed, letting go of her hand, so that he could wrap his arm around her.  "You know that I liked you when we first met, so you couldn't have been that bad."

"Or you just have terrible taste." She teased, nudging him lightly. "I do have other friends though. Taylor, Ashley, Holly and Annie. Aside from Will, they're my closest friends. They all went on this summer long trip abroad. I was supposed to go with them, but my mom had made other arrangements. They look like they're having a great time though, from what I see on Instagram... You know, not a single one of them has texted or called me since they left?" Really, that was a little hypocritical of her to say, given she didn't text or call them either...

Mike gasped dramatically. "How dare they!"

"It sounds silly to make a big deal about that, I know. But they're the type to just forget I even exist and then never speak to me again."

Mike immediately scoffed at her words, staring at her with an unconvinced look. "I don't think anyone could just forget you exist, El. I know I couldn't."

El gushed over his compliment, until her mood suddenly shifted.

"What's going to happen to us Mike?" That somber frown was back, as well as the dullness in her eyes.

Her question caught him off guard. "What do you mean?"

"We can't pretend like the summer isn't ending soon. You're gonna go off to college and I'm going... wherever I end up going."

"Yeah, so?" He had thought about this himself, many times. He never brought it up because he always assumed it was a topic for later. Unfortunately for him, it was later.

"So what's going to happen to us?" She wondered desperately, searching for answers, so she would have one less thing to worry about.

"Nothing, I hope. I mean, I don't want us to break up."

El shook her head hurriedly. "I don't want that either."

"Then nothing will change." He confidently assured her, his hold on her hand getting a little tighter. "We'll just have to spend some time away from each other. It'll be fine, we can get through it."

El accepted his answer. It's all she could do. She wanted it to work, she really did, more than anything.

Things happen though, especially when it's her mess of a life we're talking about.

She didn't want something to come along and screw it all up. A long distance relationship could definitely do that.

"Come on." He diverted, wanting to get away from this touchy subject. "Let's go put the finishing touches on those windows so we can get them down to the church."

El obliged, also wanting to move on from the current conversation. There was no point in her worrying about it. They would make it work, no matter what it took.

 

Not even an hour later, the trio was staring at a completed pile of colorful stained glass windows. The sun rays shining down making each one look a little brighter.

"We did it! I can't believe we actually did it!" Sara cheered, happy as can be.

"I told you we could!" Mike gloated, sending a radiant smile her way.

El's heart warmed at their exchange, loving that Mike got along so well with her sister. "Well, I still don't understand how you guys managed to get it all done, but I'm so proud!"

"I'd say we make a pretty great team, what do you think?" Mike asked Sara.

"We make the best team! I can't wait for dad to see them, he's gonna die!"

She instantly realized what she had said, causing all her excitement over the windows to vanish. Her face scrunched up, with tears already threatening to spill from her eyes.

"I didn't mean to say that..." Her hand shot up, clasping over her mouth in shock. Her crying intensified, until she took off toward the house.

Mike and El both followed after her, knowing that they were going to have a tough time comforting her with this one. 

 

***

 

El sat, comfortably on the leather chair in the corner of her dad's hospital room. Her head was laid back, while her cell phone was pressed against her ear. It rung a few times before someone picked up.

"El?" The voice through the phone asked cautiously, like it was the last person they expected to be calling.

"Hey, mom."

"Hi, honey! It's so good to hear your voice again! I've missed you." She sounded happy. She definitely was, considering she was speaking a mile a minute, not letting El get a word in. "I love all the photos you've been sending me! Sara has told me about all your adventures. Oh, Sara also tells me you have a boyfriend! Why didn't you include that tiny detail in your texts huh?"

"I know you cheated on dad." El blurted out, not in the mood for conversation about her love life right now. She hadn't spoken to her mom on the phone since she got here, with the exception of the few times Sara had her on speaker phone. El usually just communicated with her through texts, because talking on the phone took up too much time.

She didn't know why she chose now to confront her about it. She just needed her to know that she knew.

All El heard from the other end of the phone was silence.

"You don't have anything to say?" She snarkily remarked. "Mom, you made me believe it was his fault. You saw how horribly I treated him, my own dad. Why didn't you tell me the truth??"

Her mother sighed heavily, "I don't know. I guess I just didn't want you to hate me."

Did she hate her for what she did? It was hard to say. While it was incredibly wrong, she was still her mother. If her dad could forgive, could she?

As awful as it sounds, if that had never happened, then her dad wouldn't have moved here. If her dad hadn't moved here, she wouldn't have been forced to spend her summer here. Then, she wouldn't have met Mike.

"All I can say is that I'm sorry. I know that doesn't do much, but I am sorry El."

"Okay." El really didn't know how to respond. She didn't know if she was ready to forgive her or not. She decided on changing the subject, before the conversation got any more tense. "What are you up to?"

"I just finished eating lunch at Maoz with some friends. I'm walking back now. What are you doing?"

 _Maoz, yum._ El loved it there. She usually went once a week with either her friends or her Mom. Just the mention of her favorite place in Manhattan really got her craving their food.  _Thanks, mom._

"I'm at the hospital with dad. He was already gone to his support group meeting when I got here, so I'm just waiting for him to get back, so we can do our usual."

"I would've told you about his sickness El, I really would have, but he didn't want that."

El made a noise of annoyance, still wanting to be mad about them hiding it, but she just didn't have it in her. "I know. It's okay, I understand why he didn't want you to say anything."

"And I do have boyfriend, his name is Mike." Now she was over the heavy stuff, time for lighter conversation. 

"Oh my God! That's great, what's he like?" Her mom's excitement could be felt though the phone. El knew that she was also desperately hoping he was a decent guy. Her track record wasn't too great, but El knew her mom would love Mike.

"Don't worry. He's tattoo, piercing and drug free." Her mom's favorite qualities... Well, the last one El can get behind. She was never interested in anyone that did drugs. She had hung out with guys that had tattoos, piercings or both, but lately she was only interested in one guy.

And he had none of those qualities, nor did he need them. She loved him just the way he was.

"Oh, I love this Mike fellow already!"

"He's amazing Mom. Really, the best person I've ever met in my entire life." 

"Sounds like someone is in love?" She could hear how much her mother was enjoying this, knowing that she was about to tease the hell out of her.

"Oh, dad's back. Guess we'll have to finish this conversation later." She didn't want to talk about the extent of her relationship with her mom, which was where they would for sure end up, so her Mike talk was up.

"Sure we will." Terry laughed. "Bye, El. Please call me again soon, I've really missed talking to you."

"Bye, Mom."

El stood from the chair, sliding her phone in her back pocket. Jim had just walked in the room, his dismal face lighting up when he saw El.

"Hey old man, ready for our walk?" 

 

Jim and El always went on a walk at this time of the day, it had become routine for them. They really enjoyed their walks, especially since it gave them time away from all the doctors and machines.

El politely said hi to the nurses as they passed by. She had been around so much, that she knew most of them by name, as well as their whole life stories. Those nurses really talked her head off, so their daily walk also gave her a reason to escape them and their never ending tales. 

"How's Sara today?" Jim asked, while gazing out at the garden planted around the sidewalk.

"She's fine." El shrugged, but then remembered the events of that morning. "Except she did have a little meltdown earlier."

"Oh no, over what?"

"She said something she didn't really mean to say and it upset her."

"Don't tell me she's cussing again?" He joked, the both of them laughing at the thought.

"No she's not." She usually found it pretty funny when Sara did cuss. There was just something so amusing about a child using such inappropriate language. "She has something that she's pretty excited to show you and she said when you see it, you're gonna die."

Jim gasped lightly, his head shaking from the laughter he was trying (but failing) to hold in. "I shouldn't be laughing because I know how much that probably upset her, but what a terrible time to unintentionally make a death pun."

El snickered. "Yeah, it took us over an hour to get her to stop crying."

"Jesus." Jim shook his head, laughing a little more at the situation. 

They went on with their walk and pleasant conversation, until El felt her dad's slow pace come to a halt. She stopped as well, looking over to see why he had quit walking. His face had fallen, making him look weaker than usual. His breathing also seemed to be heavier than it normally was. This has been happening a lot lately.

"You okay?"

"Actually, I think I'm ready to come back home. I'm tired of this place. Can you take me home?"

El nodded her head slowly, processing his words.

"Yeah of course. Let's go home." Her eyes began filling with tears that didn't seem to ever fall. He wanted to go home. She knew what this meant.

They'd talked about this, what he wanted when the time had come.

He wanted to die in the comfort of his own home, not in a hospital with a bunch of strangers. The doctors understood his wishes and were more than happy to discharge him, when he felt like leaving. 

She didn't know how much longer they had left now, but his clock was ticking fast, the precious time she had with him on its way to running out.

 

***

 

Mike's POV

"Oh, dad we have to stop here for a second before we go home!" El informed him cheerfully, from her spot the passenger seat. Mike could see the grin on Sara's face from the rear view mirror, making him do the same.

"Okay?" Jim mumbled back, curious as to why they were stopping by the church. The question in his head was surely answered when he looked out his window to see the completed mosaic on the rear of the church.

The four of them got out of the car, joining Jim where he stood, clearly taken by surprise.

"Me and Mike finished them!" Sara squealed, cautiously clinging to her dad's side. "Doesn't it look amazing??"

"It looks great kid, you two did an awesome job!" He beamed, looking in awe at the beautiful finished product. "Thank you Sara. You too, Wheeler. I'm sure she was a tough one to follow."

"Oh yeah definitely. I felt like I was in the Army."

Mike couldn't help but notice the way Jim looked at the sight before him. Despite the smile on the man's face, Mike could still see the pain in his eyes, staring at the building he loved so much, the building that he believed he had almost destroyed.

The proud smile on Mike's face fell away, his conscience taking over every part of him. Seeing that look on Jim's face did something to him, made him break.

And he finally got that burst of courage he wished had come sooner.

 

***

 

Two days had passed and Mike was still as hell-bent on fessing up.

He was sitting on one of the benches at his dad's shop, his knee anxiously bouncing up and down. He needed this to go well. He needed Lucas to back him up on this, otherwise he had no clue what was bound to happen.

His fidgeting stopped after hearing the chime of a bell, signaling someone had come through the back door. Lucas came through the doorway, stopping his movements after seeing Mike.

All it took was one stern look from Mike, for him to know what this was going to be about: the only sore subject that kept resurfacing in their conversations lately.

"He's dying, Lucas." Mike spat loudly. "He deserves to know the truth. I'm telling him, with or without you."

His solemnity never let up, the seriousness of the situation more than evident. Lucas rolled his eyes, before turning back around to go back out the way he came in. Mike thought he was going to bolt, but the words that came out of his mouth said otherwise.

"Fine, let's go fuck up the rest of our lives."


	17. Chapter 17

Mike knocked heavily on the Hoppers front door, his nerves increasing by the second. Lucas stood back behind him, taking in their surroundings, until the door opened.

Jim politely smiled, not expecting it to be him. "Mike? El's out with Sara, but they should be back any time now."

"No, I know. Uh, this is my friend Lucas and we're actually here to see you, sir."

"Oh? Well, come on in." Jim ushered the two inside, each of them finding a place to sit in the living room.

"So what's going on?" He asked, curious as to why Mike and his friend needed to speak to him.

Mike released a deep breath, realizing that once they told him the truth, there was no going back. "We have something we need to tell you, about the church fire."

Jim tensed up a bit, as he tended to do when someone brought it up.

The worlds quickly tumbled out of Mike's mouth. "We were there that night and we saw who started it."

Lucas chimed in, overcome with anger just thinking about the events of that night. "It wasn't you, it was Troy Harrington. He knew we were in there and I guess he thought it would be fun to almost fucking kill us by burning the place down."

Giving him no time to respond, Mike continued explaining. "I'm sorry you believed it was your fault for all this time. I know we should've said something after it happened. We'll go to the cops as soon as we leave here, I swear."

"No." Jim shook his head, a stern expression on his face. "I don't want you to do that."

Mike and Lucas looked to each other in shock.

"But everyone blames you for it."

"Yeah, they do and it's going to stay that way, okay? I don't want you two to get in trouble for this. I appreciate you telling me though, thank you. It makes me feel a whole lot better about myself."

The two boys sat speechless, not expecting him to react this way. They had kept the truth from him, from the whole town, all this time and he really didn't want them to tell anyone?

"I know the truth, that's the only thing that matters. This stays between us three. Got it?"

Lucas happily agreed to the man's request. "Sounds perfectly fine to me!"

"Thank you." Mike breathlessly replied. He was so glad that he no longer had to carry the weight of this secret. Jim finally knew the truth of what happened and it was gonna stay between the three of them. Nobody had to get hurt.

He felt so relieved, until he saw movement out of the corner of his eye.

El stood in the door way, her face full of betrayal. She shook her head in disbelief at what she had overheard, then threw her bag down, storming off toward the beach.

"El, wait!"

Mike followed right behind her, until she had nowhere left to escape to. She whipped her body around, getting insanely close to his face.

"You knew? This whole time you knew what really happened. I told you how guilty he felt about it. You saw how hard he pushed himself every day to finish all that work. Yet, you said nothing. You just let him believe that he did it?!"

Mike rushed to defend himself. "I wanted to tell someone I did, but-"

"No! You can't make excuses for this. You could've told the truth if you really wanted to, but you obviously didn't. Let me guess, you felt bad that he's dying, so you thought it make you feel less shitty if you told him now?"

"No, that's not... El, I.."

"You what?" She snapped, her wide eyes practically daring him to throw her some bullshit explanation.   

Mike desperately searched his brain for anything that could make this situation better, but there was nothing.

"I'm sorry."

That's all he could say.

"Yeah me too." She fired back, throwing her hands up. "God, I thought you were better than this Mike."

"El..."

"Just go! I don't wanna see you anymore." El took a step back. "I don't want you around me and I definitely don't want you around my dad."

_No no no._

"El, please don't say that." Mike frantically begged, attempting to move closer to her, so that he could at least try to explain, but she moved away even further.

"Leave."

He stood still for a moment, not wanting it to end this way. He wanted to get down on his knees and beg her for forgiveness, but it wouldn't do any good. He could see the hurt in her eyes and he couldn't take that away, no matter what he did.

He surrendered, slowly backing away, then turning around, so he didn't have to see the distance between them grow.

 

***

 

El watched him go, further and further until he was gone.

She was heartbroken. How could he do this?

Mike was clearly not the guy she thought he was and that devastated her to no end. She wanted to break down and cry, the feeling of her heart physically breaking making that want even stronger. She couldn't, though. Not right now. Not when her dad was inside dealing with much bigger issues.

She was happy that he knew the truth, she really was. Nothing made her happier in that moment than to know this guilt had been lifted from her dad's conscience. It just sucked that this was what resulted.

El wiped the few tears that somehow escaped from her eyes. She should have seen this coming, even though it made absolutely no sense. While the thought did cross her mind at the beginning of all this, that she might regret it, she soon learned that she would never be able to regret her decision to get to know Mike, to date Mike, to fall in love with Mike. It just didn't seem possible.

It didn't seem so impossible anymore.

She couldn't help but wonder if there were more things he had kept from her or lied about. If he so easily pretended to feel sorry for her dad and comfort her with bullshit lines, then what else could he have done? 

With as good of a front as she could put on, she forced herself to go back in the house, refusing to dwell over this anymore today, for her own well-being. Jim looked like he wanted to ask what happened, but she'd guessed that the dismissive glance she gave him, suggested he do otherwise.

 

To say the days that followed were hard, would be laughable. They were some of the toughest times El had ever experienced, which scared her, because she knew they were only going to get worse.

Waking up to a life without Mike around, with a dying father and a heartbroken little sister was a harsh reality to face. Sara's fearfulness of what was to come only became more evident, worrying El immensely. She constantly asked herself whether Sara would really be able to handle this? Would she ever move on and live her life as normal as possible?

Her dad's issue wasn't something anyone could solve. That had been established long ago. All El could do about that one was do what she had been doing: taking advantage of the time she had left.

And as much as she tried to not think of Mike, he somehow forced his way into her thoughts all throughout the day. It was like he was a pounding headache that just never seemed to go away.

It was really just wishful thinking that she could rid her thoughts of him. Mike had become one of the most important people in her life, maybe even the most important. She spent just about every day with him. How could she not think of him?

Only now, thoughts of him were tainted with hurt and a heavy amount of longing.

She was missing a piece of herself that she had only just found out existed a few months ago. Mike was the piece she needed in order to feel whole and that piece had been snatched right out of her.

No other piece would ever complete her the way he did.

 

***

 

El's mother had arrived the second week of August to pick them up. They all knew Jim's health was going to get worse, at a much more vigorous pace. He didn't want them to be there when it got to that point, so it was time for them to go home. Sara had to go back to school soon anyways, so the timing was just right.

Their summer vacation was up, no matter what was happening around them.

Jim had explained to El that hospice would take care of him once they had went back to New York. She just couldn't accept that, the idea that some stranger would be the one taking care of him until the end.

She had made up her mind a few days ago that she wouldn't let that happen. She would stay and take care of him and that was that.

 

"We're about to leave, El. Where's your bags?" Terry asked, taking a seat across from where El sat outside.

El placed her folded hands on the table, with a determined look on her face. "I'm not going with you and Sara, I'm staying here with dad."

Terry was now staring at her too sympathetically for her liking. "El, honey... Your dad doesn't want you seeing him like that."

"I don't care. I want to take care of him. I'm staying and nobody can change my mind."

Her mom huffed in irritation. She had somehow forgotten just how stubborn her daughter could be. El wasn't gonna take no for an answer.

"You sure you can handle this?"

"Yes, I'm sure." She could handle it. She had to.

"Fine, you'll stay then."

El sighed with relief, hopping up from her chair to hug her mom. 

The two went back in the house, finding Sara and Jim hugged up in the living room.

"If you're gonna say goodbye, I don't want to hear it." Sara angrily mumbled.

"I'm not saying goodbye." Jim assured her, holding her closer.

"Hey, anytime you see the light shining through one of those stained glass windows that we love so much, just know that's me okay? That's me saying hello."

Terry and El were both doing their best to hold back tears at the sight. The bond they had formed was something they both hated to see taken away. 

Sara, on the other hand, wasn't holding anything back. Her cries get more and more frantic, the longer they stood there. 

Jim wanted to cry, hating that this was happening to them, but he didn't have enough strength in him for that. He just held her tighter, wishing he didn't have to let go. 

 

After sharing a final moment together, Sara ran off to the car. Terry said her goodbyes as well. Jim and El watched them leave, the car with Sara's head poking out the window, driving right out of their sight.

El gently hugged her dad from the side, knowing that had been rough for him. That would be the last time he would ever see his Sarbear.

 

***

 

Mike learned very quickly, that life without El sucked. Not hearing her voice every day or seeing her smile or feeling the warmth of her hugs was a loss he would never get over.

He had been at work all morning, trying to find any distraction he could from thinking about her. Too bad nothing ever worked.

It had been a little over a week since their breakup and each day that passed only made him feel worse inside.

 

"What's got you all down in the dumps?" Lucas asked, as he took a seat next to where Mike was eating lunch. "You got what you wanted telling about the fire, you should be over the moon."

Mike didn't answer, just mindlessly glanced up at him.

"Dude, what's your deal? You and El break up or something?"

_Wow, he actually used her real name for once._

"Yepp." Mike emotionlessly answered.

Lucas dropped his lunch sack on the table. "No way, I don't believe that for a second."

"Well, believe it." He sighed deeply. "She heard everything we told her dad. She hates me."

"Ah, yeah." Lucas winced, remembering El walking in on them. "She did look pretty pissed when she stormed out. Too bad I left when I did, I could've backed you up or something. Maybe it would've helped if she had known I was the main reason you kept quiet."

"No, it's not all your fault. I could've said something." It was nobody's fault but his own. El was right, he could have said something if he really wanted to. Now, he wished he had done the right thing to begin with.

"Hey, sorry I've been ditching you all summer."

Lucas was surprised to hear him say that. He didn't see how Mike was worried about it when he had much bigger issues. "It's okay man. I think I might've overreacted and was way too demanding. Besides, she was your girlfriend. Why wouldn't you want to spend all your time with her? I'm sure if I had a girl, I'd be the same way."

Mike stuck out his hand. "We good?"

"Yeah man, we're good." Lucas shook his hand, confirming that everything was okay between them. 

"I can help find you a girl. I do have plenty of time on my hands." Mike suggested and Lucas couldn't tell if he was joking or not.

"So you get one girlfriend and you think you can play matchmaker?"

"Oh, I definitely can play matchmaker." Could he really though?

"It's okay, you really don't have to do that." Lucas waved off the silly offer. "I actually have someone in mind, so I won't be needing your services."

"What?? Who?"

_Lucas interested in someone as a potential girlfriend?? What alternate universe have I been transported to?_

"I met her at the pier the other night. She was standing there all alone, smoking a joint. I politely asked if I could take a hit and she told me to fuck off... Next thing I know, we're making out behind the Tilt-O-Whirl." Lucas smirked, the memory of the two of them no doubt flashing in his mind. 

"What's her name?"

"No man, I'm not telling you a thing. Don't wanna get too ahead of myself."

"Wouldn't want to ruin what could be your first real girlfriend..." Mike teased, earning him a slap on the arm. 

Mike didn't ask him any more questions about this mystery girl, no matter how much shit he wanted to give him for it. It felt good to have his best friend back and to talk to him without one of them yelling.

They continued their meaningless conversation, until they both had to get back to work. Mike left later that day, feeling relieved to have one less person mad at him, but still heartbroken over losing El.

That feeling probably wasn't going away anytime soon. 

 

"Mike, is that you?" His mom called from the other room after hearing the front door shut.

"Yeah mom, it's me."

She appeared out of the kitchen, wearing a bright smile. "I haven't seen you in days! You keep sneaking out before we're awake, you don't get home until late hours in the night when we're all asleep. Are you alright?"

"Nope, not really."

"What's wrong honey?"

"Like you really care to know." He scoffed, while trying to get away from her.

"I do care! You can talk to me!"

As if dealing with one of his parents wasn't enough, here came Ted down the stairs. "Woah, Mike is that you?? I almost forgot what you looked like."

Mike groaned, already irritated with them. "Guys, I'm not in the mood for this."

"Tell us what's wrong, please." Karen pressed.

Mike didn't really want to talk about it, but if it got them off his case... "El broke up with me."

Both of his parents were clearly taken by surprise, due to how occupied their son had been by her all this time.

"What happened son?" Ted asked, while walking over to where they stood near the front door.

"I kind of lied to her about something, something really important to her and she found out."

Karen looked sad for a moment, before an encouraging smile spread across her face.

"Maybe it's for the best, I mean, she wasn't the right girl for you anyways! You could do so much better!"

_What the fuck._

"Karen..." Ted warned, knowing that Mike wasn't going to take this well.

"What did you just say?" Mike raved, not believing she had just said that to his face.

"She wasn't right for you Michael. She has no plans for her future, she doesn't have much money and she is a bit trashy."

A fire lit inside of him. He wanted to scream his head off at her for talking about El that way, but he was so livid that all he could do was furiously stare at her, while his whole body shook.

"Karen, that's enough." Ted demanded, but the woman just couldn't shut her mouth.

"You can't be with someone like that and go to Vanderbilt, it's a disgrace. You deserve someone who comes from a wealthy family and has their whole life planned out. Oh! I'm sure Stacey would take you back! I know she's still crazy about you!"

_Alright, that's it._

"Damn it Mom, can you just shut the fuck up??? Stop trying to control my life! I don't even want to go to Vanderbilt and I sure as hell don't want to be with Stacey." Mike took a second to catch a breath. "You never care about me! It's all about you, whatever makes you happy! I just walked in here, devastated that El broke up with me and you don't even care! You don't care that the girl I love more than anything told me that she doesn't want to see me anymore! I feel like complete garbage and I'd appreciate it, if you would at least feel some sort of compassion right now."

"Don't use that tone with me!" Karen's high voice screamed at him.

"See!! I bet you didn't even hear anything I just said! All you're worried about is my fucking tone of voice! God, can you stop being an arrogant bitch for one minute to comfort your own son!"

"I will not stand here and be spoken to like this." She yelled, before disappearing down the hallway.

Ted groaned at his wife's behavior. "Mike, listen-"

"I'm not going to to apologize for that." He stated firmly. His mother deserved to hear every word he said. 

"I don't expect you to. And I'm sorry that we make you feel this way, I really am. I never wanted to force you into anything."

Mike rolled his eyes. "Sure you didn't."

"We just want the best for you, especially your mother. She doesn't mean to be so controlling..."

"El is what's best for me, yet all she can say about her is that she's trashy." Just repeating what she had said left a bad taste in his mouth.

"God... I can't believe she broke up with me dad."

Ted placed a hand on his shoulder, in attempt to offer some comfort.

"If it makes you feel any better, I like El, I really do. She's a wonderful girl and she sure made you happy. I think that had been the happiest I'd ever seen you son..."

Mike smiled to himself, knowing that it truly was the happiest he had ever been.

"You two will work it all out." His dad assured him, surprisingly very confidently. 

"I don't know..."

"You will. Just give it time, things will get better."

_Wow, one of my parents actually cares._

"Thanks, dad."

Ted patted his shoulder. "Now, wish me luck while I go deal with your mother."

Mike chuckled, "Yeah, good luck with that."

 

Mike restlessly laid awake that night, replaying the previous conversation in his head. Maybe his dad was right. Things will get better. They have to.

The way he and El felt for each other couldn't just be erased by one stupid mistake that he made. They surely could move past this, even though he wouldn't blame her if she never spoke to him again.

Still, he wasn't going to lose hope, not just yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We’re nearing the end of our story folks, hope you’re still enjoying it <3 
> 
> Also, I started a collection of one shots based on lyrics to some of my favorite songs, so if you’re interested in reading them, they’re on my wattpad account! (same username as this account)


	18. Chapter 18

El had officially passed the two week mark since her breakup with Mike.

Two weeks since she had last spoken to or seen him. If you had asked her a month ago if the situation she was in now were possible, she would have thought you were joking.

Unfortunately, this was no joke. This was the real deal and man, did it suck. She felt like an absolute fool for thinking one week away from him was bad. Two weeks was far worse.

She missed Mike, more than words could even begin to describe. Every day his absence grew more and more palpable. She hated the way it made her feel. She was supposed to be mad at him. After what he did, she shouldn't want a thing to do with him.

Too bad it wasn't that easy.

At this point, she missed him enough to cry, well more like wail over it. She refused to let herself give in to her emotions at first, but lately it was out of her control. At night, when sleep would so rudely be the farthest thing from her mind, is when she would let it all out. She'd get all of her frustrations out, more heavy tears spilling than she'd like to admit. If her face wasn't so forcefully pressed into her pillow, her dad would probably be woken up every single night.

The days were a little bit easier for her, because she wasn't alone then. She had her dad and spending time with him helped take her mind away from Mike. Besides, being with Jim was far more important usage of her time than stewing over her failed relationship. 

Sometimes though, nothing seemed to distract her and Mike was there, taunting her with his pretty face and kind words.

There were a few times she wanted to call him, just to hear his voice.

But she didn't.

There were a few times she wanted to go by the aquarium or his dad's shop, just to hopefully catch of glimpse of him, even just a glimpse of his hair.

But she didn't.

She didn't do any of those things, because if she did, she knew she'd never be able to turn back. She would fall right back under his spell and that couldn't happen. 

 

Hoping to find another form of distraction for part of her day, El decided to take a trip to the grocery store. They were running low on all the essentials: bread, milk, toilet paper, those kinds of things. It was time to stock up and El was happy to do it (and kind of had to, given her dad's current state.)

She sluggishly pushed the shopping cart down the pasta aisle, intently searching for the kind she needed. She was so focused on the noodles, she walked right past a familiar face.

"El??"

El stopped the cart's movements, turning back to see who had spoken to her.

"Nancy? Hi." She smiled courteously, moving back down the aisle, so she could speak to her. Nancy also came closer, immediately pulling her into a tight hug. It took El a bit by surprise, but she hugged the girl back anyway.

"It's so good to see you!" Nancy exclaimed, as she pulled away from her.

"Likewise! How's married life treating you?"

"Well, I'm out buying groceries to make a superb dinner tonight, so it's treating me as well as it can be!" Nancy looked so thrilled, until her mood shifted. She now looked at El with so much pity in her eyes.  _Please don't ask. Please don't ask._ "How are you doing?"

_Damn it, she asked._

El sighed. Nancy knew that they had broken up, so no point in trying to put up a front. "I've been better."

Nancy's frown deepened as she placed a comforting hand on El's arm. "Look, I don't know what my brother did and I'm sure you had a good reason to end things between the two of you, but I saw you guys together at my wedding. I've never seen him smile that much and you looked pretty darn happy yourself. I can tell that what you guys have is something many people don't get lucky enough to find in their lives."

El stood, speechless, not knowing how to respond.

"But, like I said... I don't know what that idiot did. I do know that he feels extremely bad about it. My mom says he's been moping around the house all week and taking it all out on her. I don't know what's going on to be honest, but I hope that you two can work it out. If not, then it was a pleasure getting to meet you and I would love for us to still be friends... If that's not weird."

El was flattered by her suggestion. She really liked Nancy, of course she would want to keep in contact with her. Just because she wasn't dating her brother anymore, doesn't mean the two of them can't be friends. 

"That would be great! I won't be around too much longer though. I have to go back to New York when my dad..."

"Oh, shoot." Nancy interrupted. "Mike told me about your father, I'm so sorry about that El. I'll be praying for you and your family."

"And for you and Mike!" Nancy added with a wink.

"Thank you." El appreciated her kind words, but maybe not so much the ones about her and Mike. After all, there was no "her and Mike."

"Well, I'll let you get back to your shopping! Bye, girl!"

"Bye, Nancy." She waved goodbye to Nancy, before she disappeared down another aisle. El let out a sigh of relief, thankful that that conversation was over. It's not that she didn't enjoy talking to her, it was more of the topic they were talking about that wasn't particularly enjoyable.

_Of course Mike feels bad about it. He should, he lied._

She couldn't help but feel the smallest bit of satisfaction at the fact that he was "moping around" due to their breakup. She was doing the same lately, so it was nice to know they were in the same sinking boat.

_Well, at least I ran into Nancy and not him. That would've been a much different conversation..._

 

_***_

 

"You're cheating, you have to be! There's no way you can get that many draw fours!"

El dramatically gasped, throwing her free hand on her chest. "Dad!! How dare you accuse me of cheating!"

"I'll stop accusing you of it, when you stop doing it!" Jim declared, eyeing her dubiously.

El laid down another card with a straight face, until her satisfaction broke through. "UNO!"

After an unnecessary amount of pondering, Jim placed a red seven down on the pile. El slapped her last card down, instantly celebrating yet another win.

"Alright, I need a break." He huffed, the sore loser in him taking over, which amused El to no end. With El's help, he pulled himself up from the table, went over to the cabinet to find a glass, then opened the fridge.

"Did you get more milk?" He asked, looking around on the shelf for it.

"Yepp, I think it got pushed to the back."

Jim made a thoughtless noise when he found it, then poured him a glass. El watched as he struggled to hold the gallon of milk. His physical abilities were worsening by the day and it was difficult for her to witness. He had been spending most of his time in bed, so these rare moments where they could do things like this were something El began to take much advantage of.

She knew this was what she'd be facing when she decided to stay and take care of him though. She just had to put her best strong face on and get through it.  

"So I ran into Mike's sister at the store yesterday." El randomly mentioned, wanting to get away from her current thoughts.

"Oh yeah? How'd that go?" He mumbled, while lowering himself back down in his chair.

"It was fine, a little awkward when she brought up Mike..." El scoffed, remembering what Nancy had said about the two of them. "She said what he and I have is something most people don't get lucky enough to find in their lives. How stupid is that?"

"Well, she's not wrong." He admitted, knowing that El wouldn't be too happy to hear it.

"Oh God. Not you too." El groaned, throwing her hands over her face. "I don't need anyone else trying to convince me that Mike and I are some epic couple. Or tell me how incredibly happy we looked together. I'm not getting back with him okay?"

"You guys were good together and disgustingly cute, if I must say."

"It doesn't matter how cute we were, what he did was wrong, dad." She shook her head, not believing that he was actually speaking of her and Mike that way. "I can't be with him after that."

"I agree it was wrong, but it's not like he started the fire himself. And that Harrington boy is a tough one to deal with. If they had told, he would've made their lives a living hell."

"He still lied about it! He could've at least told you and he didn't. You had to take the blame for it all this time, when you didn't even do it. Dad, I really don't see how you're not mad about all this."

"El, I don't really have the time to be mad over things like that. Besides, he did tell me." Jim shrugged, making El's irritation grow stronger.

"Yeah, months later, after he found out you were dying."

"At least he told me." He reasoned, trying to lessen her anger with Mike, because he really felt bad for the boy. "He knew he'd be risking a lot, including his relationship with you, but he still told me. He even said they'd go to the cops, but I told them not to. El, I know what he did was wrong, but he was just scared."

"So what?"

"So... I forgave him and I think you should to. He's a good guy and he makes you very happy."

"Ugh! Can we just not talk about Mike anymore? Please?" Anymore of having to hear other people's reasons for them to be together and she might actually start to agree with them.

Jim raised his hands up, as much as he could, to surrender. "Fine, no more Mike talk."

"Thank you."

"Alright, deal the cards." Jim demanded, lightly smacking the table. "Let's see if I can beat you this time."

"Please, I am the UNO champion."

 

A few games later and El was proving her previous statement to be true. She was still the UNO champion and Jim wasn't having it.

Before they could start another game she was sure to win, they heard someone knock on their front door.

"Ohhh, you got lucky, whoever that is just saved your butt from another beating!"

El hopped up off her chair, the two spewing out trash talk back and forth, while on her way to the door. She opened it, coming face to face with the last person she expected to be on the other side.

"Will??" She gasped, completely taken by surprise. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Surprised?" Will grinned, holding his arms open for a hug.

"Uh, yeah, little bit." El hugged him right away, her face still full of confusion from his unexpected visit.

The two pulled out of their friendly embrace and El invited him inside, bringing him along with her to the kitchen. Jim looked up questionably, not expecting her to have a visitor. "Dad, this is Will, one of my best friends from back home. I don't know if you remember him or not."

Jim looked Will up and down, trying to match the name and face with any memories he might have. Of course it had been quite awhile since he had lived in Manhattan, so it took some thinking.

"Lived across the street from us? Your mom always screamed her lungs off from the fire escape when it was time for you to come home?"

"That's me!" Will attested, while shaking his head at his mother's antics.

"Nice to see you again." Jim kindly said, gesturing for him to take a seat at the table.

"I had no idea he was coming here." El explained, not wanting her dad to think she had just invited someone over without telling him, especially at a time like this.

"That's alright, stay as long as you like Will. El here could use some company besides my old puny self. Just be glad she's in a better mood than she was when she first got here."

El faked a laugh at his words, while Jim got up from the table to walk over to where she was standing. He kissed her forehead, in attempt to make up for his teasing.

"I'm gonna let you two hang out. I think I'm going to go lie down and rest for a bit. All that UNO wore me out..." He explained, stopping before he left the kitchen. "Oh hey, ask her about Mike." Jim told Will, laughing as he disappeared down the hall.

"Noooo, do not ask me about Mike!" El yelled, only increasing Jim's juvenile laughter.

"Who's Mike?" Will asked, grinning smugly up at her.

El groaned, taking her seat next to Will . "Of course, you ask about Mike, when I literally just said not to. He's just someone... No one, okay?"

Will laughed at her defensiveness. "Someone or no one?"

"Doesn't matter, he's not going to be around anymore, so it's not worth talking about. Now, on to more important matters, like what the hell are you doing here?"

"Well, I ran into your mom one day. She told me you were still here with your dad, said I should check up on you. So I figured, what the hell, might as well come for a visit."

"All the way here??" It was a long way for him to travel, just to visit her. She felt a little bad about it too. It's not like either of them have the money lying around for spontaneous trips. El had saved up for her trip abroad for so many months, which ended up being pointless, since she didn't even go on the trip. Still, money wasn't something her or her friends could just blow on whatever they wanted.

"I was bored." He shrugged, like it was no big deal. "My brother was annoying the shit out of me and my mom won't stop bugging me about getting another job, so I needed a vacation from them. Sorry, probably shouldn't have just dropped in on you like this."

"No, it's fine. How'd you get the address though?"

"Your mom thought I would write you, so she gave it to me. Guess she forgot we have cell phones. I think you forgot too."

"Yeah, sorry... I have been a little busy."

"Yeah with Mike." He teased, winking at her. El, not so kindly, flipped him off in return.

"Look, I can't promise I'll be much fun, but I'm glad you're here!" She spoke sincerely, leaning over to hug him again. She hadn't seen him in months, so it was nice to have a friendly face around, especially at a time like this. "Since my dad's resting, wanna go for a walk on the beach?"

"Sure, then you can tell me more about this Mike guy!"

El rolled her eyes at his persistence. "Not a chance, so drop it."

 

***

 

El and Will strolled down the beach, catching up on things they had missed in each other's lives. El didn't have much to say, given her refusal to discuss anything Mike related, so Will did most of the talking. As expected, he had plenty of crazy stories to tell her.

He had gotten fired from his job for showing up drunk and cussing out the customers. He then got another job, only to get fired again for "accidentally" taking money from the cash register. His dad pissed him off, so he vandalized his car and somehow didn't get caught. He also got pulled over for having a tail light out, but ended up threatening to punch the cop, so that didn't end well.

Will was a wild one, which was one reason her mother wasn't too fond of their friendship at first. She felt he was a bad influence on El, which wasn't entirely untrue.

Underneath that craziness, Will is a genuinely wonderful person and her mom found that out quickly. Will was probably the only friend of El's that Terry approved of. The girls were much too obnoxious for her liking and her disapproval was more than noticeable every time El had them over.

El never cared what her mom thought, especially not now that she knew her mother's true colors. She filled Will in on that whole ordeal, which he also wasn't too happy about. In a way, he felt just as betrayed as El. 

 

After a few more of Will's tales, El spotted Max up ahead, walking toward them. She hadn't seen her in awhile, so of course she had to say hi. "Hey, Max!"

"Hey!" Max greeted her with a wide smile on her face. "Oh my God, I haven't seen you in so long! How are you doing?"

El was really starting to hate that question.

"I've been better."

"Oh?" Max replied, clearly interested in what was going on.

"I'll tell you all about it when we're not in public. Too many eyes for me to cry around." Max didn't know about her breakup with Mike nor what was going on with her dad. Having to discuss both things at once would definitely bring on the waterworks.

Will jumped into their conversation, whining like a child. "You'll tell her and not me?? I am offended."

El rolled her eyes, grabbing onto Will's arm to pull him closer to them. "Max, this is Will, one of my very nosey best friends from back home. Will, this is Max, we met when I first got here."

The two said hello, the both of them already getting the feeling that they were going to get along just fine.

"We're gonna walk down this way, wanna tag along?" El asked Max, hoping she would want to come.

"Well, I was supposed to meet someone at the pier, but they just texted me saying they had to go into work, so sure!"

"Oh Maxine, is that someone a guy?" Will teased, earning him a light groan from Max. 

"Ew, please don't call me Maxine. But yes, it is a guy." She admitted proudly. "A guy El knows actually. Lucas, Mike's friend."

"What?? You and Lucas??" El questioned, not seeing that one coming.

"Yeah, believe me. I'm surprised as you are."

"This is great, now we can talk about your relationship instead of mine." El hooked her arm through Max's, as they started walking further down the beach. "Come on, spill it!"

Max dished on how she had met Lucas. Her short story wasn't too unbelievable to El. It sounded exactly like something you'd expect from the two of them. El just hoped that they would be good for each other. She had somewhat of an idea of how Lucas treated girls and given Max's last relationship, she deserved better than that.

The way she talked about him though, it seemed like they were already headed in the right direction, so El was rooting for them. 

 

After much discussion and a good amount of walking, they all decided on going to get pizza. Their stomachs were growling like crazy and they needed food in their systems as soon as possible. Will, being the dramatic one that he is, claimed he would pass out if they didn't eat something already.

El needed to check up on her dad before they went anywhere else, just to ease her nerves. Something could've happened to him while she was away, so she needed to make sure everything was alright. She, along with her two companions for the night, walked back down the beach to her house. They found her dad in his recliner, watching an episode of "Mad Men."

"Wow, El, you left with one person and came back with two. When did you get so many friends?" He joked, making the other two laugh.

"Ha ha." She emotionlessly remarked, playfully glaring at him. "This is Max."

"Max as in the one the girl who-"

"Unfortunately..." Max embarrassingly admitted, before he could finish his unflattering description of her.

"We're okay now though, she apologized." El assured him, smiling happily at Max.

"Yeah, I'm really sorry for doing that." Max quickly apologized to Jim, knowing how mad he must have been when he found out the truth of what she had done.

"Hey, I'm all for second chances! It's good that you two worked it all out. Nice to meet you, Max."

Max smiled politely, a little surprised that he was being so nice to her. "You too." 

"They want to go get a bite to eat, unless you need me to stay?"

"No, El. Go. Go out with your friends." Jim encouraged. "I'll be fine here by myself, really."

"Are you sure? We could be gone for awhile." El really didn't want to leave him here alone any more than she already had. Something could happen to him. He could get hurt or need help with something.

"Yes, I'm sure. I won't let you spend every minute of every day taking care of me. I'll sit right here and watch some TV, then go straight to bed."

"Okay... But you call me if you need me okay?"

"I will." Jim promised, then looked pleadingly at Will and Max. "Please make sure she has fun, I don't care if you have to force her."

"You got it!" Will called back, while Max nodded affirmatively. The two practically drug her out the front door, giving her just enough time to holler goodbye to her dad before the door shut behind her.

 

***

 

"So Max, you know the famous Mike too?" Will asked as they walked down the beach toward the carnival.

El groaned dreadfully.  _Why does everyone always want to talk about Mike?_

"Can you fill me in on him, because she won't say a word." He almost whined, while obnoxiously pointing a finger in El's face.

"He's your typical gorgeous rich guy, well I guess he seems to be, but since El fell in love with the guy, he must not be that bad."

"Yeah, too bad Mike and I aren't together anymore. Since you're with Lucas, we all could have went on a double date." El joked, finding the image of the four of them together to be rather amusing. Two well known rich guys with two not so known, not so rich girls. That would be a sight for sure.

"Wait, you guys broke up??" Max practically shrieked, completely shocked at the news. They last time she had seen them was at the wedding and they looked so in love you'd think they were some beautifully written couple snatched right out of a television show.

"I'm sorry back up for a second, you were in love with him???" Will interrupted, looking at El with eyes so wide, she figured they'd pop right out the sockets. Given El's history with guys, she knew her being in love with one was sure to be a shock to him. "El, you didn't tell me any of this!"

"I told you, he's not gonna be around anymore, so no point in wasting my breath talking about him." El flatly stated, then looked to Max to answer her question. "And yes, we broke up."

Max wanted to press her for all the details, but could tell El really didn't want to get into it. She went on with her explanation to Will. "I just knew of him because he had beef with my ex, Troy, so I guess I can't judge him too much. It's not like we were friends or anything."

An alarming thought crossed El's mind, prompting her to interrupt. "Wait, Max... Did you know that Troy started that fire??

"What fire?" Max cluelessly asked.

"The church fire? The one that my dad was given all the blame for?"

El could see Max having to think about it, before a clear wave of realization washed over her face.

"Oh my God... El, I swear I didn't know that was your dad. I was with Troy that night, but I was high off my ass! I don't remember hardly anything, honestly."

El looked a bit unsure, not wanting to put her trust in someone again, only to be let down.

"Look, I know you have no reason to trust me, especially after the whole shoplifting thing... but I wouldn't lie to you about this, especially not now. I really want us to be friends."

El had a short internal battle with herself, but decided she would trust her, because she really wanted to be friends too. "Okay, I believe you."

"Oh thank God!" Max sighed in relief, jumping forward to kiss her on the cheek.

"Man, I just got here and already there's so much drama going on, this is insane. I should've came sooner." Will excitedly spoke, finding everything going on around here to be very entertaining.

"You know what else is insane? The Gravitron!" El deflected, wanting to move on from all this tense stuff. "You guys wanna ride it?"

"You know I'll ride anything, let's go!" Will yelled, pulling the girls along with him.

The newly formed trio headed toward the ride. The line was excessively long, but that only gave them more time to ramble on about random nonsense. El was thrilled that Max and Will had gotten along so well. They were oddly similar, so it made sense. She wished that the two of them could have been around more the past few weeks. They would've really helped with her somber mood. 

 

Across the way, Mike stood at a complete standstill, feeling the wind get knocked right out of him the moment he saw her. He hadn't expected to see her anytime soon, especially not here, so it really caught him off guard. Not that any warning would have helped much. He would have been just as stunned if he had known that she was coming.

He hadn't laid eyes on her in weeks and now here she was, looking as beautiful as ever. Her smile was still so bright, the sight filling his entire body with warmth. She was wearing a somewhat short dress, which was his favorite color on her: black. Her hair was natural and wavy, just how he liked it. She was perfect and somehow she had become even more so over the past two weeks.

He knew this was it, this was his chance to try and get her back. She was right there, only a few feet away from him. Who knew when the next time he saw her would be? It was now or never.

The closer he got though, the more he couldn't help but notice how genuinely happy she looked. She was chatting away and laughing with her friends, one of which he didn't recognize. He couldn't just walk up to her like this. It would probably ruin her whole night. And really what the hell was he even going to say? He knew it would take more than just another 'I'm sorry' to earn her forgiveness.

She had made it crystal clear that she didn't want to see him anymore, so why was he even trying? The second she noticed his presence, she would probably run away.

"Mike, you fucking idiot." He mumbled to himself, before disappearing amongst the crowd. 

 

El looked up at just the right time to catch a mere glimpse of what she knew was the back of Mike's head. She'd recognize that head of hair anywhere.

She'd deny it if you asked, but her heart began to flutter like crazy at the sight of him. 

And that feeling stuck with her for the rest of her night.

 

***

 

"Wild night last night?" Jim asked, from where he sat at the kitchen table, drinking his morning tea and reading the paper.

"Oh yeah. If you consider riding the Gravitron five times, then scarfing down a pizza wild." El quipped, then hopped up to sit on the counter.

"You had fun though?"

"Yeah, I did." She smiled, remembering the previous night with her friends. She hadn't had that much fun in a long time and it felt great.

"Then that's all that matters. I'm glad you did, you deserved it." Jim took a sip of his tea, then noticed the absence of their new guest in the house. "Where's Will?"

"Still knocked out. He probably won't wake up until noon, he loves his sleep more than anything."

Jim snickered, slightly shaking his head. He had really only been around Will for a short amount of time, but already thought the boy was a character. He could see why El was friends with him.

"You feeling okay today?" She asked, while pouring herself a cup of coffee.

He peered over the edge of his glasses, shooting her a questioning look. "Honey, you have to ask me that?"

"Right... Sorry." El laughed dryly. He was sick and his health was only getting worse. Why would he be feeling okay? She knew better than to ask that, especially since his honest answer would probably upset her.

"I'm gonna go work on my song, holler for me when breakfast is done?"

"Of course." El assured him, while getting down off the counter. She gathered up everything she needed to make breakfast, the comforting sound of a soft melody soon filling the space around her. 

That beautiful noise took over the Hopper household for days. While her dad's physical abilities were almost gone, he did somehow have the strength to play. And he definitely did it as much as he could. His playing became the background noise to everything they did throughout the day.

When Max had come over for a movie day with El and Will, the noise could be heard.

When El finally got a brownie recipe perfected that they could all consume without gagging, the noise could be heard.

When Will had said his goodbyes before he left to return home, the noise could still be heard.

After those days spent with good company, it was back to the two of them... and then the noise stopped. 

 

Curious as to why he had stopped playing, she joined him at the piano, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Hey, lazy bones! How's that song coming?"

Jim sighed heavily, blankly staring out the window. "I don't think I can finish it."

"What do you mean?" She asked, her brows furrowing. "What's wrong?"

"My hands hurt pretty bad, I don't think I can play anymore." He weakly smiled up at her, before grabbing hold of his cane to lift himself up off the bench. He made his way out on the front porch, El watching brokenheartedly.

She turned away, her eyes landing on his sheet music to see how much progress he had made on the song. He really didn't have much left, so she decided she'd just finish it for him. She could do it. It could probably be finished within the hour, then they'd have themselves a completed song.

El had been playing with him some ever since he had come home from the hospital. It had still felt as wonderful as it did when she played for Mike.

And more she played, the more her love for it came back. After all that time of depriving herself, playing it now just it made so much more fulfilling. It also served as a great distraction from all the mess in her life, which she would gladly take advantage of. Distractions were vital for her these days. 

 

It only took her a little over an hour to complete his song and she was more than proud of herself. She knew how much this song meant to him. He told her every time she urged him to take a break, that this was his last song. And for that reason, it had to be nothing short of perfect. 

After playing it through one final time, she had no doubt that he was going to love how it turned out.

"Dad!" She called out happily. "I finished it! I finished the song!"

No answer.

"Dad?" She yelled again, sliding over on the bench, so she could see out the front window. Her dad was still sitting there, maybe he just hadn't heard her?

"Hey old man, I finished your song, don't you want to hear it??" She yelled once more, while going out to where he sat on the porch. She wore a proud smile on her face, until that smile fell away.

What she didn't notice before, was his glass lying on the ground, broken pieces scattered everywhere. And her dad's hand that previously held that glass, lifelessly hanging off the side of the chair.


	19. Chapter 19

Forty five-days.

That's all the time El got with her dad from the day she found out he was dying to the moment she lost him for good.

The doctors had said two months, yet she was given less. She thought she had more time. She desperately needed that time, but it had unfortunately run out.

She didn't know what to do in that moment. She knew it was coming, but now that it was finally here, it was like everything froze in place. Her whole body went numb and she felt like she couldn't breathe.

_This can't be happening. It wasn't supposed to happen yet. I wasn't ready. I needed more time with him._

The only thing she wanted in that moment was for someone to hold her, to assure her that she'd be okay, that no matter how lost she felt, everything would be okay in the end.

Looking at her dad once more, lying lifelessly on the chair, she didn't just want that comfort, she needed it. She needed someone right now. Otherwise, she may not survive this.

She stumbled back in the house, searching for her cell phone. After finally finding it, she snatched it up in her hand, shakily calling the one person who could help her through this.

The sound of the person picking up on the other end of the phone barely registered in her ringing ears, but her cries served as a sign that she was there.

"El? What's wrong??" His voice was full of sheer panic.

"He's gone Mike. He's gone and I-" Her sobbing broke though, preventing her from saying anything else that could be understood.

"I'll be right there okay? Just hold on, El! I'm on my way!"

 

***

 

Mike found her on the living room floor, like her legs had completely given out on her and wherever she landed was where she stayed. Her eyes were red, the tears still spilling heavily from them. She was staring off into space, with the most heartbreaking look on her face.

"El." He rushed over to where she was, kneeling down beside her. Her sobs grew heavier when she noticed his presence. "Shh, I'm here, I'm here now. You're going to be okay." He quietly comforted her, pulling her into his arms. She clung to him like her own life depended on it.

Mike held her in his arms, only leaving her for a moment, to call 911. She didn't say a word the entire time, but there was nothing she could say. She had just lost her dad forever and words couldn't express how that felt for her.

The paramedics shortly arrived to take Jim's body away. El didn't handle that too well, not wanting him to be gone, even though he already was. Mike did his best to hold her, no matter how frantically she fought against him.

 

After he managed to calm her down, Mike led El to her room, insisting she lay down. She needed to rest. Her incessant crying was going to make her sick and he knew that she hadn't been getting enough sleep. He was sure that wouldn't change much given the devastating loss she will have to cope with, but right now there wasn't much else she could do.

He sat down on the bed beside her, while tucking her in tight. Her crying had ceased for the moment, but she was still sniffling. He pushed her loose hair behind her ear, softly trailing a finger over her cheek.  
The way she looked up at him gave him the worst feeling he had ever experienced. She looked so broken. He wanted nothing more than to fix her right up, but he knew this wouldn't be an easy thing to fix. And he didn't know if he could even fix it for her.

Her eyes soon fell shut, a sign that she had finally gave in and went to sleep. Mike moved to leave, but her hand shot up to pull him back down.

_Guess she's not asleep..._

He hesitated, not knowing if it were such a good idea, but then slid right in the bed beside her. She needed him right now and he wasn't going to just leave her here alone. Not like this. 

She snuggled further into his chest, making him realize just much he had missed the feeling of her in his arms.

And when he soundlessly snuck out a few hours later while she was still sleeping, he missed that feeling more than he had before.

 

***

 

Two days later, it was Jim's funeral.

And Mike was running late.

_Of all the days for my truck to get stuck in the damn mud again..._

Mike cursed his truck multiple times before leaving it right there in the middle of the road. He was close enough to his house that he could run back and take another vehicle, so he took off running, wanting to waste no time.

After exchanging vehicles, Mike drove well over the speed limit to get to town. He had somewhere to be, after all.

The funeral was being held at the church, which had been completed a few days ago. When Mike arrived, he noticed that the building looked far better than it had before the fire. Mike knew that Jim would have loved to see it. 

 

Trying to go unnoticed, Mike carefully entered the church, easing the door shut behind him. As soon as he looked up, his eyes met El's. She was seated at the piano in the front, the center of everyone's attention. Their gazes held, each staring so longingly, that many people in the room couldn't help but notice their exchange. She flashed him a soft smile, which he immediately returned.

_Good, she's not mad that I came._

He was little worried she wouldn't want him there, especially after he had left her house that day without saying anything. He regretted it as soon as he left, but couldn't make himself go back. Then the next day her mother and Sara had arrived, so he didn't want to crowd them. El had her family, so she probably didn't need him anymore.

Mike took a seat at the end of the nearest pew and his full attention went to her. He could see the dried tears on her cheeks, the smudged makeup around her eyes, but she still looked just as beautiful. 

El took a deep breath, taking in the small room full of people. "I wanted to give a speech, but every time I tried to write one, the words just didn't seem like enough. When I got here at the beginning of the summer, my dad had been working on a song. I would hear him awake late at night trying to make as much progress as he could on it. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to finish it, so I finished it for him. Instead of a speech, I'd like to play the song. I think it's what he would want."

El took another deep breath, hoping that she could get through the song without messing up. She placed her fingers on the keys, letting the passion for playing that ran within her, guide her movements.

She played the song perfectly, feeling extremely satisfied with how it sounded. El ended the song with a smile, overjoyed that she had done his song justice.

Just as she had finished playing, the sun rays beamed through the windows, shining as bright as ever. Words she had once overheard her dad speaking to Sara popped into her head and she knew that was all his doing.

_"Anytime you see the light shining through one of those stained glass windows that we love so much, just know that's me okay? That's me saying hello."_

 

***

 

Once the service concluded, El made her way outside with her mom and Sara. They had tons of guests to speak to and thank for coming. El knew it would be exhausting, but it had to be done.

Somehow though, her two partners had snuck off and left, leaving her to do all the talking.  _Lovely._

She had just finished speaking with a man her dad had grown up with, when she spotted Mike coming toward her. Her heart sped up at the sight of him, just as it had when he came in earlier.

The two stopped in front of one another, the extremely short distance between them more than noticeable to the both of them.

"Sorry I was late." He immediately said to her, smiling apologetically. "My truck got stuck in the mud."

"Why am I not surprised?" She lightly giggled, then shook her head, as if it were no big deal. "It's okay though... I really thought you weren't gonna show."

"I'm surprised you noticed I wasn't there." He joked,  grinning at her, almost in a shy way, which was new to her.

"Are you kidding? You know you were the only  
person I was looking for in that crowd." Any sign that she was joking wasn't there. She had meant every word.

Mike's face lit up, like a wave of hope washed over him. She was looking for him, surely that meant something.

He pushed those hopeful thoughts away for the moment, needed to focus on something else. Now surely wasn't the time to rekindle their relationship.

"I'm also sorry that I left you alone after... I just figured you didn't want me there when you woke up."

"No, it's okay." She assured him, understanding why he did. "I probably shouldn't have called you like that, I don't know why I did. It wasn't fair to you."

Mike was quick to deny her words. "El, you were hurting and you needed someone. Don't say it wasn't fair to me, it wasn't about me at all. I knew that when you called. It was about you and you needed comfort. I'd give you that any day."

"Thank you, Mike." She sincerely expressed her gratitude, wanting nothing more than to be in his arms right about now. All she had to do was make the move and she'd be there, safe in his warm embrace. Only she was interrupted and their moment was cut short.

"Excuse me, El, I have someone I'd like for you to meet," an older man said, gesturing toward another man standing off behind him.

She turned back to Mike, sending him a look he could tell meant that she was sorry for having to leave him. She was being pulled away, to talk to people he knew she had no interest in talking to.

 

He waited around for a little bit, in hopes to finish their conversation, but it seemed like every time one person would leave, another would swoop right in.

After a few more minutes, he decided to leave. This way, he would have to man up and find her himself, if he wanted to see her again, which he did. He would go to her house with the best damn apology he could think of and get his girl back. 

 

El didn't notice him leave, due to the pastor still talking her head off. It wasn't that she didn't care about what he was saying, she was just over these conversations with people she didn't even know. It was nice that they were so fond of her dad, but she really just wanted to go home.

Well, she wanted to talk to Mike, then go home.

And just when she thought that might happen, another voice from behind claimed her attention. 

"Hey, El." El turned around to find a very sympathetic looking Stacey. 

_Stacey? What the hell?_

"I'm really sorry for your loss." She thoughtfully said, in a way that El couldn't tell if it was genuine or not.  

"Oh, thank you." El quietly responded, not knowing how to act in the situation. Stacey had never been nice to her nor were they even friends, so what was she even doing here? El didn't get to say anything else, though. Stacey looked at her one last time, then walked away.

_Weird._

 

El continued going the way she was before, when she ran into someone that she did want to see. 

"Max? I didn't know you were here." El exclaimed, instantly hugging her tightly. "Thank you for coming."

Max had of course noticed Jim's declining health during her time at El's house, so El had to tell her all about it.

El hadn't thought of telling her about the horrible news since it happened two days ago, so she didn't expect her to be here. Guess she heard from someone in town.

"Of course! I wanted to come over as soon as I heard, but didn't know if you'd be up for visitors."

"That's okay, I really appreciate you coming."

"I know you're leaving soon, but if you need me for anything, I'm here okay?" Max offered. El nodded gratefully.

"And I'm still flying out over Christmas break to see you and Will right?"

"Of course you are!" El assured her, remembering how excited they had been when they came up with the idea.

"I'll see you before you leave though!" Max reminded her, before pulling her in for a quick hug. "Bye!" 

Now that she was finally free of what were mostly distractions, El looked around the crowd of the remaining people, searching for Mike. She looked all over, but he was nowhere to be found. He had surely left by now. She wouldn't expect him to wait around for that long just to talk to her.

_Damn it, why did all those old people have to talk so much._

She only hoped that she would get a chance to see him again. Like Max said, she was leaving soon and if she had to leave without seeing him one last time, well that would just be tragic.

 

***

 

After handling everything with the funeral, El finally got to go home. Her mom and Sara left to go back to New York again, which El would also be doing within the next few days.

She had to start going through her dad's things first and packing up what she was going to keep, which was going to take quite a bit of time. It was also going to take a lot of strength on the emotional end and she didn't know if she had enough of that.

Being back in the house, alone, after having said her final goodbye, the heartache only got worse.

Her dad was gone.

He was gone and she missed him already, so much.

That feeling, along with the ones his possessions brought her, definitely proved the task at hand to be an overwhelming process. Within the rest of her evening and most of the next day, she had successfully gone through what was her bedroom and her dad's bedroom. She still had a few rooms left to go, but desperately needed a break.

 

El sat down on the couch, opening up her dad's laptop, to compose an email she had finally decided to send.

**_To whom it may concern,_ **

**_I am contacting your office to confirm my enrollment for the Fall semester. I appreciate your continuous support for my education, allowing me this incredible opportunity after all this time and I'm thrilled to finally accept._ **

**_Thank you,_ **

**_Eleanor Hopper_ **

She couldn't help but cringe at the use of her real name, but the distaste didn't stick around too long, as the memories she had with Mike the day they climbed that tree came back to her.

El forced herself to tuck those memories away in her mind, not wanting to think too much about it. Her emotions were already hanging on by a thread. One more hit and they'd go haywire.

 

She went over to where her dad's piano was, thinking back to all the times his presence had filled this space. She would miss that the most, hearing him play those beautiful melodies.

She picked up his song book, flipping through it until she felt something hit her foot. An envelope had fallen out from its place between the pages. She bent down to retrieve it, turning it over to see her name written on the front.

It was written in her dad's handwriting, so she knew exactly what was inside. He had written her a letter, a letter to read when he was gone.

She wanted to rip the letter open, but at the same time, she didn't want to. Whatever was in that letter would be the last words she would ever get from him. After that, she would have nothing. 

It took El a good ten minutes before she finally worked up the courage to open it. She decided that she needed to know what he said.

She carefully took it out, unfolding the page to find paragraphs of her father's somewhat sloppy writing.

 

_El,_

_I first want to say how thankful I am that you stayed with me. I know that it couldn't have been easy for you having to see me grow weaker as the days passed. It also couldn't have been easy to take care of me as much as you did. I think you're incredibly strong for that. Well, I think you're incredibly strong for more reasons than just that. You have grown into such an amazing, independent, young woman and I'm so proud to call you my daughter._

_I know these past few years have been hard for you and I was completely to blame, whether you think so or not. I hope you know, that even when I wasn't there, I always loved you. I always loved you and your sister and I would have given anything to be there with you all those years I missed out on. I should've been a better father and I can only hope that you will find it in your heart to forgive me for letting you down._

_It meant the world to me getting to see you and your sister and having you both here with me for the summer. Like I told Sara, it was the best summer I could have possibly asked for. I know you weren't happy about it at first, but I'm glad you eventually came around and started to enjoy your time here. I know I mostly have Mike Wheeler to thank for that._

_I know you may not like what Mike kept from you, but I really think you should forgive him. He made a mistake. Everyone make mistakes, even the people we love. Don't let one insignificant thing ruin what you have with him. He's a good guy and I know that he makes you very happy. You deserve to be happy El._

_Speaking from experience, life doesn't always go as planned and you could find yourself regretting a lot of things as you get older. You don't want that, believe me. I want you to live your life as best as possible. So do what makes you happy, be with who makes you happy. Always follow your heart and don't take anyone's crap, which I know you won't._

_And remember, I may be physically gone, but I will always be with you._

_Love, Dad._

_PS. I know I don't have to say this, but when you and Mike do make up, tell the boy I said to take good care of you._

 

El wiped the tears flowing from her eyes, her dad's final words to her really hitting her hard. The things he had said about her got to her, making her feel grateful that she had such a loving father, who always loved her and cared for her, no matter how awful she was to him.

The things he said about Mike got to her, as well. She couldn't deny it anymore. Like her dad said, Mike is a good guy. He had been there for her still, even after she had broken up with him and told him she didn't want to see him anymore.

He gave her space, when she knew how much he wanted to beg for her forgiveness. He came to her dad's funeral. And not to mention, the way he cared for her and loved her when they were together was something quite amazing.

Maybe her dad was right. It was just a mistake. If he could forgive Mike, then she had to. She needed to. All this time being mad at him was pointless. It didn't do anyone any good. They were better together and it was time she got her head out of her ass and accepted it.

He made her so incredibly happy and more loved than she'd ever felt in her entire life. Like she had told her mother, he was the best person she had ever met. How could she be so stupid and let him get away? 

 

As if it were a sign from her father who now watched over her from above, she looked up to find the very guy that was on her mind. He was standing out on the beach, looking out at the waves.

"Thanks, dad." El spoke, while smiling as she briefly looked up above her.

She carefully placed the letter on the table, wanting to get to him as soon as possible. 

 

Once she had made it out onto the beach, she stopped her walking for a moment, just to stare at him. Even from behind, he was somehow still so beautiful. It was unreal how attractive he was to her.

He hadn't noticed her presence yet, so she lingered behind a little longer, until she broke the silence.

"You know, if Sara were here right now, you'd totally be freaking her out." She called, smiling at the memories that were no doubt now running through both of their heads.

She could hear his deep laughter, before he turned around, with a grin on his face. "We moved past that remember? She'd probably be out here with me by now."

"Yeah, you're probably right."

Mike took a few steps closer. "Nice necklace." He complimented, while knowingly grinning at her.

El reached up to her neck, clutching the sea turtle necklace in her hand. She had forgotten she had it on. She never really took it off, but the thought of him seeing it didn't cross her mind at all. She could just imagine the thoughts running through his head right now, knowing that she still wore the gift he had gotten her, even while they weren't dating.

"Why are you out here anyways?" She asked, in hopes to change the subject, while eyeing him with fake suspicion.

"Well, I was gonna come up to the house, but I didn't know what exactly I wanted to say yet."

El nodded, deciding to speak before he could go on. "That's okay, I actually have a few things I want to say to you."

"Oh okay, go for it." He nervously urged, afraid of what she might have to say to him. He had no reason to be afraid though, not at all...

"I'm going to Juilliard." She happily informed him.

"El, that's amazing, I'm so happy for you!"

"Thanks. I somehow got my love for playing back this summer." El shrugged, as if it were no big deal, but they both knew that it was.

"Sara also told me to tell you she says hi. She was sad she missed you at the funeral."

"I do miss that little drill sergeant. Tell her I say hi back."

El nodded, their humorous looks soon changing into ones that were much more intense the longer they stood there.

"Got any other messages for me?" He joked, the intensity breaking for a moment, only to snap right back. His eyes bored into hers and somehow gave her the courage to say the only thing left for her to say.

"Just one more." She quietly said, hoping that she could actually get the words out without making a fool of herself. Mike looked expectantly, waiting for her to go on, but she didn't.

Tears inevitably started forming in her eyes, until they managed to escape, falling down her cheeks. Mike hesitantly came over to her, wanting to comfort her, but also not wanting to overstep.

"Hey, what's the matter?" He pondered, looking at her with so much love and care in his eyes, she couldn't help but crumble. She sprung the short distance forward, wrapping her arms around him. Mike froze, not expecting her to be back in his arms again, but hugged her back just as tightly as he had done so many times before.

El basked in the comfort of being in his arms for a little bit, then pulled back, staring up at him to admire the boy that she loved.

"Mike, I..." She couldn't seem to find the words, wanting to say everything she's feeling all at once.

"Not being with you all this time has made me realize that I can't not be with you. It just doesn't work, I'm miserable and I can't stop missing you.

What you did sucked, but it was a mistake. We all make mistakes, even the people we love.

But, I forgive you for it.

I forgive you and I love you.

And I need you in my life.

You're the best thing that has ever happened to me and I can't lose you again, okay? I can't, not ever. I just need to know that you still love me?"

"Are you kidding me?" He sighed, making her a little nervous. Was she too late?

"Do you actually think that I could ever stop loving you?" He finally questioned, causing all her nerves to fade away. "I couldn't even if I wanted to. Just like I told you not too long ago, I love you and I will be here for you, always. And you won't lose me, because I'm not going anywhere... Not even to Vanderbilt."

Her breathing halted for a moment, hoping that he meant what she was already getting at in her head. "What?"

"I think it's only right that I go to Columbia. I mean, it has always been my first choice. And this way, the girl that I love gets to watch me make a few more mistakes, does that sound alright to you?"

El couldn't bring herself to speak. All she could do was jump into his arms, smashing her lips onto his. Their lips moved hastily, wanting to make up for lost time. Kissing him again, made time cease and speed up all at once. It was an incredible feeling and she knew that she had made the right choice.

She just wished she had made it sooner.

"I love you." She whispered, her lips hovering close to his, just waiting to dive back in to the bliss that came with kissing him.  

"I love you, El. Always."

Their mouths found their way back to each other, as Mike held her in his arms, her favorite place to be.

El belonged with Mike Wheeler and nowhere else. She knew it all along, but now it was more clear than ever. 

 

 

_El's summer hadn't gone the way she expected it to, which was both good and bad. She had lost her father and even though she would carry the pain of that loss with her for the rest of her life, she was grateful to have gotten back the relationship with him that she had been missing out on. The time she had with him would be something she would always remember._

_And of course, the summer had brought her Mike. The best person she had ever met, the only person who could ever make her feel the way that she felt now._

_She knew in her heart that they were meant to be together, from the very moment he spilt that milkshake on her. He was the love of her life and there was no doubt in her mind that the rest of her life would be spent by his side, making her the luckiest turtle in the sea._

 

 

_THE END_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys have enjoyed this story as much as I have enjoyed writing it! If you've stuck with me this entire time, thank you. I never expected this story to do as well as it did, so you guys are wonderful. 
> 
> And if you haven't seen the movie or read the book, I really hope that you do one (or both) because it's such an amazing story that my writing definitely can't do justice. 
> 
> I'm not sure if I will do any more stories just yet. There are a few ideas I have, both original ideas and AUs based on some other movies, so you may or may not see me pop up again in the near future. I do have a one shot book on wattpad though, if you'd wanna check that out! 
> 
> Again, thank you and I hope you all enjoy ST3! We're so close and I could not be happier! 
> 
> <3


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